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crime

Man arrested for crossbow attack on newspaper deliveryman

17 Comments

Police in Taketoyo, Aichi Prefecture, have arrested an unemployed 28-year-old man over a crossbow attack on a 31-year-old newspaper deliveryman in August.

According to police, the suspect, Taito Yamaguchi, fired a crossbow at the victim as he was delivering newspapers on his bike to a housing complex at around 2:45 a.m.

Fuji TV reported that two residents heard loud voices that sounded like two men arguing and then heard a man crying for help. One resident found the victim lying on the ground, bleeding from the right chest, and called police.

The victim told police that a man wearing a black helmet had fired a crossbow at him. A witness in the housing block saw a man in a black helmet drive away in a black van right after the incident.

Police said an arrow from a crossbow appeared to have penetrated the man's chest and exited his back. However, no arrow was found at the scene. The victim also had a knife wound to his stomach.

Police said Friday that Yamaguchi and the victim had worked at the newspaper delivery company until last October. At that time, Yamaguchi was reprimanded by the victim for his attitude and behavior at work and the two got into an argument.

A friend of Yamaguchi told reporters that he was in the archery club in high school, Fuji reported.

Police confiscated a crossbow and knife from Yamaguchi's residence and said there were also traces of blood matching the victim's in Yamaguchi's car.

Yamaguchi, who is denying the charge, is also being questioned over a similar attack in neighboring Handa City on July 12, in which a company employee was stabbed in the back as he opened the door to his home. The assailant in that incident was also wearing a black helmet.

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17 Comments
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Looking into my crystal ball. Yamaguchi was quoted as saying " he was stressed out and wanted to know what it was like to shot someone."

11 ( +12 / -1 )

Ah, so there was a motive and intent, meaning it wasn't just a random attack. Locking this loon up will make the world a better place.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Kobe white, you forgot "I was drunk"

4 ( +4 / -0 )

locking him up will not avoid him doing another crime....

Well, it kind of will actually.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

When this story first broke, people on here were speculating this man could only have been a professional assassin.

Who could have possibly anticipated he's be an unemployed man with a history of violence.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

So ninjas still exist in Japan

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Yamaguchi, who is denying the charge, is also being questioned over a similar attack in neighboring Handa City on July 12, in which a company employee was stabbed in the back as he opened the door to his home.

Sounds like the suspect is a crossbow fanatic. Every time a conflict with his peer occured he seemed to attack his colleage with his crossbow. I mean, some Japanese media say another victim in the above quote is also his former colleague.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

What shocks me is that crossbows were not used by the Japanese before the age of gunpowder.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

So whatever happened to the crossbow bolt that was never found?

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Police said Friday that Yamaguchi and the victim had worked at the newspaper delivery company until last October. At that time, Yamaguchi was reprimanded by the victim for his attitude and behavior at work and the two got into an argument.

Eh ? two co-workers fighting over part-time job .

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Lock up this lunatic quickly, please.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

I think he too was stressed out so he wanted to shoot someone.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

So it wasn't a mob hit after all? (laugh).

Then again, my original comment was a bit wide of the mark.

Hardly a professional hit. Just some loon trying out one of his toys. The same sort of nutter who puts crossbow bolts into ducks, dogs and other helpless animals. When the cops arrest somebody for this, the excuse will be "I did it for the thrill."

0 ( +0 / -0 )

NessieSep. 07, 2015 - 08:00AM JST So whatever happened to the crossbow bolt that was never found?

Perhaps he brought it home with him since they cost 10 bucks a pop

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I think it's still a bit premature to slam the door on this fella. Whatever happened to innocent until proven guilty? Oh it's Japan...

Anyway he's still pleading not guilty at this point in time. An argument with a colleague may be one possible motive but apart from the blood supposedly found in his car (I'm sure the police in general and Japanese police specifically has never planted evidence on a person sarcasm). I'm sure a lot of you have had disagreements with colleagues in the past too. What if it's you who had an argument with the victim huh? As for the black helmet, that's just too common to be solid evidence.

Hey don't get me wrong, I'm as glad as the next person if a loonie with a crossbow is taken off the streets, but we still need to practice due diligence in all criminal cases lest there maybe innocents being unfairly accused of a crime one didn't commit.

IMHO it's better to let the odd crook slip through the cracks once in awhile than to jail an innocent.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Locking up this loon will help a little but these type of incident do happen quite often. If they can put a gun grab and banned on guns in the USA then they should also ban all crossbows and bows all together excluding knives. Banning all crossbows or bows alike shall too be banned here in Japan to prevent lunatics from shooting like robin hood.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Who could have possibly anticipated he's be an unemployed man with a history of violence.

being employed doesn't avoid violence it happens at work as well

Ah, so there was a motive and intent, meaning it wasn't just a random attack. Locking this loon up will make the world a better place.

locking him up will not avoid him doing another crime , capital punishment is not a solution either

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

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