Japan: Suspect at large after attacking students, spraying unknown substance at police
Tokyo, April 29 (IANS/WISHAVWARTA) A man is on the run after allegedly hitting two high school students with a hammer and spraying an unknown substance at several police officers in Japan’s capital Tokyo on Wednesday, local media reported.
The incident took place on a street in Fussa, a suburban area in western Tokyo, at around 7:20 am (local time). One student suffered injury in the face while another sustained injury in the shoulder after a man believed to be in his 40s attacked them, Japan’s leading Kyodo News Agency reported.
According to the police, the man attacked the two students after his mother warned several students talking on the street to be quiet, however, they remained there. A person who saw the incident in a residential area near JR Fussa Station made an emergency call and informed that a man possessing hammer was attacking someone.
The police said officers reached at the spot and while speaking with the man’s mother, were threatened by the man with a knife he had brought from home before he sprayed an unknown substance on them, injuring three.
Police stormed the man’s house around noon believing that he had barricaded himself inside his home. However, police only found a hammer, knife and spray at the man’s residence, Kyodo News reported.
Security camera footage has revealed that the man apparently fled through a back door after spraying unknown substance at the police personnel. Although none of the injuries were fatal. Police is carrying out search for the man on suspicion of attempted murder.
In February, a 17-year-old boy was killed, and two other boys were injured after they were stabbed in central Osaka, western Japan.
The police received an emergency call reporting that people had been stabbed on the first floor of a building in Osaka’s Dotombori shopping area, Kyodo News reported, citing the Osaka police.
A young man suspected of stabbing boys in the downtown area has fled on foot and remains at large, Xinhua News Agency reported, citing, quoting Kyodo news agency.
The deceased victim suffered stab wounds to the chest and other body parts, was pronounced dead at the spot, while the two other 17-year-old injured boys were taken to the hospital, according to police.
According to the police, the attacker, believed to be in his 20s, knew the three victims, and they had a dispute shortly before the attack.
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