Police in Nagaoka City, Niigata Prefecture, have arrested an 18-year-old man on suspicion of attempted murder after he slashed three people at a shopping mall on Monday.
According to police, the incident occurred at around 11:20 a.m. at the Riverside Senshu mall. Kyodo News reported that police received an emergency call from someone at the mall saying that people had been injured by a man wielding a knife.
The victims included two women in their 40s and 60s who sustained wounds to their necks, and a mall employee in his 40s who suffered cuts to his back while attempting to subdue the suspect. Police said the injuries sustained by the three victims were not life-threatening.
The suspect, who has not been named, is a high school student living in Nagaoka City. Following his arrest, he was quoted by police as saying, “I didn’t have any particular reason for doing it.”
© Japan Today
18 Comments
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Lindsay
arrested an 18-year-old man
He is not a ‘man’ under Japanese law. He is a juvenile. His name will be withheld and he will be tried in a juvenile court.
Minikaeru
At least the only weapon he could get was a knife, strict control of weapons means the three victims have only not life-threatening injuries.
3RENSHO
"...who sustained wounds to their necks..." would indicate the attacker was targeting an vein or artery supplying blood to the brain; in other words... Attempted Murder.
Random
@Lindsay, Japan’s Juvenile Law was revised last year, so at 18 he is indeed an adult.
nosuke
Name n shame this adult. The laws has changed in Japan age 18 is legal adults not age 20
virusrex
He will probably be named once his identity confirmed, there is not much lost by delaying the release of information until then, if it turned out he was actually 17 it is not like they can un-release the information afterwards.
Stephen Chin
He is a child! NOT not a man!!
Stephen Chin
NOT a Man!!
smithinjapan
'The suspect, who has not been named, is a high school student living in Nagaoka City. Following his arrest, he was quoted by police as saying, “I didn’t have any particular reason for doing it.”'
Except that he knows he won't get in any trouble for it. He'll still be out of any type of reformatory in less than two years and able to vote thereafter -- or heck, even within. Can write his name, but we can't.
Wesley
If the gender was reversed, y'all will be going "Oh, she needs help".
Instead, y'all are whining about whether he is a "man" or not.
Double standards.
I'm just glad the 3 victims did not suffer life-threatening injuries.
And kudos to the brave mall employee MAN who suffered cuts to his back while attempting to subdue the suspect.
lostrune2
Goodness he couldn't get ahold of a gun
GuruMick
At 18 years, the suspect IS a man, NOT a child.
And should be tried as an adult.
opheliajadefeldt
he was quoted by police as saying, “I didn’t have any particular reason for doing it.”.........But he went there with intent, that is why he had the knife, and he probably did not care whether or not he murdered some poor unsuspecting person. I am not sure about Japanese law, but this maniac needs to be kept away from people for many years.
borscht
Eight or so comments complaining the culprit is a man not a boy and should be named.
As if that was the most important thing about the article.
He slashed three people for ‘no particular reason’. This is worrying and troubling. What caused him to believe knifing people was a suitable reaction to life? What mental disorder might he have? What will the prosecutors do?
garypen
He targeted women. (The man was only injured when he intervened.) Older women. He either has some psychological issue with women, or her just viewed them as easier targets, less able to defend themselves.
He also aimed for the neck. So, obviously he was trying to kill them. Two charges of attempted murder, and one charge of assault with a deadly weapon, are certainly applicable here. (Or, whatever the J equivalents are.)
John
Dead penalty is so fair and necessary for these psychopathic animals.