A 43-year-old unemployed man was indicted Friday on suspicion of attempting to kill a 15-year-old high school boy at a McDonald’s outlet last Saturday in Kitakyushu.
Police said they plan to also charge the man, Masanori Hirabaru, with the murder of the boy’s classmate, Saaya Nakashima, NHK reported. The two students were attacked as they stood in line at the cash register at around 8:25 p.m. on Dec 14.
The assailant spent less than 30 seconds in the store, stabbing each victim once. Nakashima was stabbed in the abdomen and was taken to the hospital where she was declared dead on arrival. The boy was stabbed in the waist, but his injuries are not life-threatening. He told police that the attacker was a complete stranger.
Hirabaru was arrested on Thursday and has admitted to the allegation, police said. Surrounded by about five police officers, he was put into a car Friday and transferred from Kokuraminami police station to the Kokura branch of the Fukuoka District Public Prosecutors Office.
According to police, Hirabaru did not make a clear statement about his motive during questioning, and sometimes became enraged when the same question was asked repeatedly.
Several knives were found in Hirabaru's home, which is about one kilometer from the McDonald's store, and in his car, a black minivan. Yellow sandals worn by the assailant were also found at his home.
Based on their analysis of security camera footage, police believe that Hirabaru drove to the scene. A black minivan could be seen circling the area before the incident.
Police said not much is known yet about Hirabaru. Local media reported that he kept to himself and that neighbors complained to police about him playing military-style music with the volume turned up and throwing lit fireworks from a window.
© Japan Today
27 Comments
Login to comment
shogun36
finally they show his worthless mug,
plaster it all over, so people know
3RENSHO
"...military-style music with the volume turned up..."
Uyoku?
Fighto!
Looks much older than 43.
If guilty he needs to hang. Stabbing an innocent young girl to death - and stabbing her friend - means he has forfeited any right to be expensively kept alive.
Rest in Peace Saaya.
Kevin Crocker
Watching something on the news now about him. Dude is out of his mind. Screaming shouting and singing in his apartment, bothering his neighbours. He was a mum prime to explode and he did. He should have never been in general population
u_s__reamer
Society must be protected from this class of psycho killers with troubled minds, a much easier task than protecting people from mass-murdering politicians whose victims number in the hundreds of thousands.
sakurasuki
Any person that need to deal with Japan hostage justice system, being interrogated repeatedly will give same rage, not only him.
WoodyLee
""Local media reported that he kept to himself and that neighbors complained to police about him playing military-style music with the volume turned up and throwing lit fireworks from a window.""
So what did the police do when his neighbors complained about him??
This would have been a signal that this man may be in need of help and about to do something stupid!?
WoodyLee
He looks quite normal, just an average man in his 40's could pass for a gentleman !?? So what caused him to flip???
Bob
I am from the USA and have family in Japan and visit frequently and have never have had a concern for my safety when visiting, this though makes one think even though Japan is much safer one is never removed from unstable people that wish to do harm. We have a saying in the USA “Stay alert stay alive.” I am very glad that this murderer was apprehended and will face the penalty for his crimes. My thoughts go out to the families no parent should have their children harmed and murdered so senselessly.
Tony W.
Probably a combination of mental illness and being unemployed. But I feel sorry for his victims, not for him.
smithinjapan
Please keep asking him the same question over and over again. Then laugh at him when he becomes enraged. Then, in prison, play the same question on repeat in his cell and never turn it off.
HopeSpringsEternal
Economic pressures are building with collapse in Yen's real asset purchasing power for 5 straight years now and lack of truly global tech. titans. Hence, demographic collapse and growth of 'crazy hopeless angry' behavior.
HopeSpringsEternal
One odd point, witnesses said he was approx. 170cm, seems far taller, unless the cop in the picture is a midget, which is rarely the case...
kibousha
The Justice system doesn't work. Now this bottom scum gets protection, will live in air conditioned room and eat meals on tax-payers' money, while the girl who has been preparing for tests and looking forward for high-life school gets mercilessly robbed of her future.
wallace
kibousha
You seem to know little about the prison system. There is no AC or heating. Meals are very basic. The regime is very strict.
3RENSHO
"One odd point, witnesses said he was approx. 170cm, seems far taller..."
I agree with 'HopeSpringsEternal'-- the suspect appears to be of a husky and muscular build, taller than average.
Roger Gusain
It's great that Japan still has the death penalty.
Mocheake
Seems to me like a lot was known. There were red flags everywhere and he was obviously a loose cannon with serious anti-social tendencies. Don't like people who prey on the weakest. I have some strong rope in my closet and I'm willing to donate it for a just cause.
Bret T
"Local media reported that he kept to himself and that neighbors complained to police about him playing military-style music with the volume turned up and throwing lit fireworks from a window."
Let me say, I vote for the most severe punishment allowed for his crimes. Period.
However, it seems his behavior was attention seeking, as if he knew he needed help before he finally snapped.
To the parents of the little girl, I pray you will learn to be well again.
Aly Rustom
that would be my guess.
Even better- since he likes military music and may be Uyoku, why not play Pikachu's I have a Pineapple I have a Pen over and over.
3RENSHO
In answer to my own posed query: of course it is immediately obvious the arrested suspect is a member of an right-wing ultra-nationalist activist group...
Uyoku dantai (右翼団体, lit. 'right-wing groups') refers to Japanese ultranationalistfar-right activists, provocateurs, and internet trolls (as netto-uyoku) often organized in groups. [from Wikipedia]
Zaphod
3RENSHO
And why exactly is that "obvious" to you? I have not seen any reference to membership in any organization. Please share your knowledge.
bass4funk
I hope the guy never has a good sleep in his life again, he should suffer until his final breath, I hope he gets the death penalty.
u_s__reamer
It's great that Japan still has the death penalty.
which suits killers with a death-wish weary of living and with low self-esteem just fine. An execution means going out ceremoniously in a grand FY gesture courtesy of the state and tax-payers.
Zaphod
Eat the left
I think it is based on the line in the article where it says he annoyed the neighbours among other things with playing loud "military-style music", which one poster interpreted to mean that he is part of a "right-wing organization". Talk about jumping to favourite conclusions.
virusrex
Well fortunately the people that made wild suppositions about the criminal being some kind of genius impossible to catch were completely wrong. Meanwhile those that correctly thought committing a serious crime in sandals revealed a lack of planning that would lead quickly to his capture were right.