Naoto Suzuki/AP
The house where a suspect barricaded himself with a hunting weapon on May 25, 2023 in Nakano City, Nagano Prefecture.
Tokyo CNN –
The son of a local Japanese government official is in police custody after he allegedly carried out a rampage involving shootings and knife attacks in downtown Nakano on Thursday, a rare crime in a country with strict gun laws and a low homicide rate.
Masanori Aoki, a 31-year-old farmer, was arrested on suspicion of killing a 61-year-old police officer by apparently shooting him in the chest with a hunting rifle, police in Nakano, a city in the country’s Nagano Prefecture, reported , said CNN.
Two other people died Thursday, a woman in her 40s and another police officer, aged 46. And on Friday, a 70-year-old woman found outside the home where the suspect barricaded himself was pronounced dead, police said.
About 100 investigators are working to “elucidate the full extent of this extremely heinous incident,” Nagano Police Chief Iwao Koyama told reporters on Friday.
Koyama said the incident sparked “major concern” in Japan, a country of 125 million people where gun violence is extremely rare. Due to its extremely strict gun control laws, it has one of the lowest gun crime rates in the world.
Just nine gun deaths were reported in 2018 – compared to 39,740 in the United States the same year, according to data from the University of Sydney’s Sydney School of Public Health.
Koyama said police were called to the scene late Thursday afternoon with reports that a man had stabbed a woman with a 12-inch “survival” knife.
As the drama unfolded, a witness to the attack told Japanese broadcaster NHK that he saw a woman run towards him and beg for help while he was being pursued by a masked man in camouflage.
In a statement released on social media, Nakano officials urged citizens to stay indoors while authorities designated an “evacuation zone” with a 300-meter radius around the scene of the incident.
About 60 people were evacuated to a middle school gym, where local officials provided shelter, blankets, food and drink.
Koyama told reporters Friday the suspect stabbed a woman and then a man. He said the suspect then shot two police officers with what appeared to be a hunting rifle before barricading himself in a house owned by Nakano City Council Chairman Masamichi Aoki, who is believed to be his father.
Koyama said Aoki lived with his parents and aunt, and Aoki’s 57-year-old mother and 60-year-old aunt fled the family home and were rescued by police.
Gun ownership is rare in Japan, as strict gun laws make acquiring a rifle nearly impossible.
However, NHK reported Friday that Aoki has been licensed to own four hunting guns, including shotguns and airguns, since 2015.
According to the government, hunters and sport shooters are allowed to own shotguns and airguns under “strictly restricted conditions”.
To qualify for the gun license, prospective buyers must attend a full-day course, pass a written exam, and pass a shooting range test with at least 95% accuracy. They must also undergo a mental health and drug test, as well as a rigorous background check — including a criminal record check, personal debt, organized crime involvement, and relationships with family and friends.
Upon receipt of a gun, the owner must register their gun with the police and provide details of where their gun and ammunition are kept in separate, locked compartments. The gun must be inspected by the police once a year, and gun owners must retake the course and pass an exam every three years to renew their license.
However, Japan was rocked by a shooting last year that had repercussions around the world.
Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was assassinated during a campaign speech in Nara in July, sending shockwaves through the country and the international community.
According to the National Police Agency, there were nine firearms incidents in Japan in 2022, including the killing of Abe, down one from the previous year.
Six of the nine incidents are believed to have been committed by gangs and other groups. A total of four people were killed and two injured in the nine incidents.