A 44-year-old man was arrested on Monday morning (July 13) after allegedly wielding a kitchen knife in a random stabbing attack at a video rental store parking lot and on nearby roads in Saiki City, Oita Prefecture, leaving four people injured.
According to Japanese media reports, the incident occurred around 9:30 am when police received reports of a man attacking people with a kitchen knife at the parking lot of the TSUTAYA video rental chain and adjacent streets. A 63-year-old man and an 84-year-old man sustained severe stab wounds to their chests and other areas, while a 16-year-old high school girl and a 61-year-old self-employed man suffered minor injuries to their necks and other parts.
Staff at the TSUTAYA Saiki branch said that two men and one woman entered the store bleeding and asked for help. Employees immediately alerted police and firefighters and assisted in stopping the bleeding while waiting for paramedics to arrive.
Police said that about 30 minutes after the attack, a nearby medical institution reported a man holding a kitchen knife at their facility. Officers arrived shortly after 10:00 a.m. and arrested the man on suspicion of violating the Firearms and Swords Control Law.
The suspect was identified as Hiroshi Noshita, a 44-year-old physical therapist from Nagashima Town in Saiki City. He owned a knife approximately 18 centimeters long at the time of his arrest and admitted to violating the weapons law.
According to Oita Television, quoting police sources, Noshita acknowledged during questioning that he had attacked people with the knife. He reportedly told investigators that "anyone would do," indicating that he had not targeted specific individuals. Police have also confirmed that none of the four victims knew the suspect, and the incident is being treated as an indiscriminate attack.
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