Tomohiro Kato, a 25 year old man, drove his truck through a crowd in Tokyo's Akihabara district around noon Tokyo time today. He then jumped out and started stabbing people. Right now, CNN is reporting seven people dead (five men, one woman and one unidentified) and at least 11 more injured. Witnesses have reported him as saying we was "tired of life" and that he came to Akihabara just to kill people. He told police "I came to Akihabara to kill people. It didn't matter whom I'd kill."
In an eerie twist, this came on the seven year anniversary of the Ikeda elementary school killings that happened in Osaka. Eight children were killed in the incident.
You can view a news clip on the story above, watch the CNN story here, and watch a witness reporting from the scene (and in English) after the jump.
If any readers have any more/new information, please share it in the comments.
I just saw this on rte.ie....
It said one of dead included a 74 year old man..
The coverage at {http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/7442544.stm} seems quite good.
I honestly don't know what to say to this, I'm horrified.
Can't we teach those depressed people to only hurt themselves? This makes me sad, it's Puerto Rican Day and over in the Holy Land this douche bag goes nuts on those poor people. My heart goes out to them.
That's horrible. I'm even surprised by the cafe maid interview. Here's another article from the BBC.
According the to article it mentioned this: "The Akihabara attack occurred on the same date that a man with a history of mental illness went through a primary school in 2001, stabbing children at random."
I assume when you say Japan should have a good hard look at itself, you mean at how they deal with mental illness.
Anyway, if this happened in the US, it would have been been a gun, and there would have been many more deaths. I'm not saying this isn't a bad thing, but it happens like twice a year, here, doesn't it? Shopping malls, churches, college campuses, Amish schools… I don't know where anyone would get off making comments about Japan.
In the states, killings are perfectly normal to the point that most murders don't even make national news because they're not "big" enough. We're the ones that need to take a closer look at ourselves.
Considering almost any violent crime in Japan makes the news, regardless of location simply because there's not a lot of it, I think they're doing better than us. :P
@Horatio Caine: According to the Japanator acticle: "In an eerie twist, this came on the seven year anniversary of the Ikeda elementary school killings that happened in Osaka. Eight children were killed in the incident."
@Yuusuke: Yeah, that's pretty much what I was going to say.
On a side note, it's amazing how less than 10 hours after the incident 8 of my favorite blogs already had info up on the incident and video links....even 8 years ago I doubt you'd get info that fast...
"This guy just killed Akihabara the way Charles Manson killed the sixties."[/quote]
When you look at the places you been you realize no where is safe..... I look back at the wonderful memories and taking pictures of that same area.... I will never look at it the same again.... It's sad. I only hope it clams down but then again terrible things happen and no one knows when. I have a loved one who lives there and it scares me when I hear about this.... I am so shocked and sad... I cry for those who have passed......
[quote]I was in Akihabara almost all day on Saturday! I'm so glad I went on Saturday and not Sunday. Those poor people.[/quote]
*huggles* Yea. I hope nothing bad happens to you while your in Japan. Be safe!
Right now, CNN is reporting seven people dead (five men, one woman and "one unidentified") You can't really know which category you put it, in "women" or in "men".
Anyway, are they gonna hang him like Takuma? or is death penalty anymore eligible in Japan.
19 comments
It said one of dead included a 74 year old man..
The coverage at {http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/7442544.stm} seems quite good.
I honestly don't know what to say to this, I'm horrified.