A man in Sanmu, Chiba Prefecture, shot and killed the 68-year-old president of a demolition company on Monday before turning the gun on himself. Police identified the president as Masao Kudo from Yachimata.
Police said they received an emergency call from an employee of the demolition company at around 2:30 p.m., saying, "The company president has been shot." When they arrived on the scene, police found Kudo lying on the floor bleeding from his wounds. He was pronounced dead a short time later at a hospital. His suspected attacker, a man in his 60s, was found 50 minutes later on a patch of vacant land 10 kilometers away, bleeding from a gunshot wound to his head. A pistol was found by his side. The man, who has not yet been identified, died shortly after, police said.
According to police, before the shooting occurred, witnesses said they heard the two men arguing and heard Kudo say, "I have nothing to say to you."
© Compiled from news reports
21 Comments
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HumanTarget
Gun crimes seem to be on the rise in Japan these days.
smithinjapan
HumanTarget: I think most gun crimes in Japan involve the yaks or 右翼 (right-wingers). You don't generally hear of this kind of crime committed by anyone else.
HumanTarget
True. I wonder if this points to underworld connections. A demolition company seems like the kind of thing that might be associated with unsavory elements.
Disillusioned
A construction company + two guys in their 60's + a gun = Yaks
Roppongi
"HumanTarget: I think most gun crimes in Japan involve the yaks or 右翼 (right-wingers). You don't generally hear of this kind of crime committed by anyone else."
"A construction company + two guys in their 60's + a gun = Yaks"
ABSOLUTELY!!!!!!
Foxie
He has been watching too many movies. RIP company president.
warallthetime
In the U.S. liberals would wine about tougher gun laws. This just goes to show the old saying "When you outlaw guns only outlaws will have guns" rings very true....even in "very safety" Japan.
Laguna
Good heavens, warallthetime, do you honestly think wider gun proliferation in Japan is in any way a good idea?
mrskit
no one should have a gun full stop worst man made invention ever 'beat your swords into plowshares' people!
Virtuoso
Sorry@HumanTarget, but you are misinformed. I think when the stats for last year are published you'll find the national total for firearms homicides in 2010 to be under 20. That's right, two followed by a zero.
Tahoochi
warallthetime: I'm no US liberal, but what you're saying makes no sense at all. Please see Virtuoso's post ↑
smithinjapan
warallthetime: "In the U.S. liberals would wine about tougher gun laws"
Quick question: what's the gun death rate in Japan per year vs. US? YES, given the DAILY gun related rampages in the US vs. the very rare gun related deaths in Japan, it's normal for people in the US to want stricter gun control. Here, it is unnecessary; this kind of thing is the exception, not the norm.
Virtuoso
Yo people, I just checked online and the body count for killed and injured combined by firearms, both legal and illegal, in Heisei 22 (2010) was 17. That's a fall of 3 from 2009.
TorafusuTorasan
"In the U.S. liberals would wine about tougher gun laws."
Who needs to whine when we've got good conservatives like Arizona governor Jan Brewer vetoing guns in schools legislation yesterday.
17 killed and injured by guns nationwide in a year? Sadly, that's a weekly body count in some American cities.
CandleStickPark
Wait a minute
Most of the time we read "the suspect" shot and kill...
Here we read, "A man shot and killed".
How does JT know for sure this man shot and killed the president?
is it because "this man" is also dead that there is no need for a trial?? No need for burden of proof? No innocent before proven guilty?
bdiego
They're reporting the facts. You're confusing the justice system and the prosecution of an individual with facts. He's dead, so there is no trial.
By your logic, we need a trial to determine what year the Constitution was written and when the summer carnival is being held.
taj
warallthetime: I think Virtuoso just quietly handed you yours. Will you say thank you?
I will. Thanks Virtuoso. The stats don't lie. Strict gun control can work!
illsayit
If the employee wanted to kill the boss he didnt need a gun. I think unconversational bosses, and especially of similar age, should learn to talk. How is it possible to solve company problems, if the boss doesnt include all the workers and their knowledge of the work in business; and just enjoys the boss position and the economic advantage it can pull on any of it's employees. Tepco come to mind, anyone!
fds
so where'd he get the pistol? strict gun control works hence the akihabara massacre, the aum sarin incident, etc. if there's a will there's way. virtuouso's statement is still true.
Noliving
Well considering Japanese-Americans have equal access to guns in America as all other Americans and considering they don't kill each other with guns or anyone else for that matter in America with guns would suggest that wider proliferation of firearms would not be that big of a problem for Japanese because of their culture.
illsayit
well lets see there was also a suicide, so for every suicide-and go on pull numbers out-add a murder and your logic doesnt even matter,fds. Maybe all the hunters have everybody scared shatless. Check out hunting grounds while your at it virtual.