A man, identified as Tomohiro Kato (25), launched into a knife wielding rampage in Akiba, in which he indiscriminately attacked 18 people, with 7 of his victims subsequently dying. He apparently also ran people down in a truck, and attacked police officers, stabbing at least one. He gave the reason “I became sick of the world. I came to Akihabara to kill” for his actions.
He was soon overpowered and arrested, submitting rather than be shot by police. All of this occurred on one of the busy Sunday afternoons where Akiba is at its most crowded, probably helping to explain his large number of victims. Via Asahi. English report at Yomiuri.
It will be interesting to see what his motivation is, for were it death by cop, might we not expect him to have provoked police into shooting him? The choice of Akihabara as the scene for his going amok also raises seems curious…
Wonder how long it will be before the media tries blaming this on otaku, even though otaku are the victims here.
I am keeping my eyes open for that; so far all they revealed is that he was a dispatch worker who lived alone and his neighbours didn’t know him… If they search his apartment and find some otaku trappings I’m sure we’ll hear about it very soon.
well even if they didnt find something the fact that he come to akiba linked to otakus and this the blame will be passed. If anything they should see it as he wants to hurt otakus and they should be getting protection
is there a need for an investigation he blatantly admitted his crime, even if he was otaku that isn’t the reason why he was violent, perhaps his violent attitude made him into an otaku
pussy.
he RAGED on otaku, who can’t really fight back, then when police came he gives up.
weaksauce. he soulda been an hero. pussy.
I remember reading this in the newspapers last year.
As no one mentions it here, in case anyone was wondering, he (the killer) blamed his actions on having become addicted to mobile cell phone games, which he seemed to think ruined his life.
I think he had also been fired about a week prior to going on the knife rampage. I wonder how bad the unemployment benefits must be in japan…
Although with as often as these things seem to be happening these days, the story I read could have been a completely different occurrence…