A man in his 40s has died following a knife attack outside JR Nagano Station. The incident occurred at around 8 p.m. on Wednesday. According to public broadcaster NHK, the suspect, who looked to be around 40 years old, targeted three people — a woman and two men — with a knife before fleeing the scene. They were waiting at the bus rotary on the north side of the station when the perpetrator struck. One of the victims, who was stabbed in the abdomen, went into cardiac arrest. He was pronounced dead shortly after being transported to the hospital.
Nagano Knife Attack Suspect Escapes With Weapon
Another man, in his 30s, sustained serious injuries after being stabbed on the right side of his back. He remains conscious. The other person targeted in the attack was a woman in her 40s. NHK reported that she was unhurt, except for a minor injury she suffered when she fell over. According to investigators, the assailant is slim and approximately 170 centimeters tall. He reportedly fled the scene while still carrying the weapon. Police, who are pursuing the suspect on suspicion of murder and attempted murder, believe it was a random attack as he had no prior connection to the victims.
Knife Crime in Japan
While violent crimes are rare in Japan, there have been a number of high-profile knife-related incidents in recent years. Last month, Masanori Hirabaru, 43, was arrested after stabbing two junior high school students at a McDonald’s in Kitakyushu. Saaya Nakashima, a third-year junior high school student, was killed in the attack. Her male classmate was seriously injured. Hirabaru, who was initially arrested on December 19 on suspicion of the attempted murder of the male student, was served a fresh arrest warrant earlier this month for the fatal stabbing of Nakashima. The suspect claims he had no intention to kill.
