Man Arrested after Stabbing 10 Passengers on Tokyo Commuter Train

Japanese police said Saturday arrested a 36 year-old man who allegedly stabbed 10 passengers on a commuter train in Tokyo. Japanese police reported the stabbing attack to be a random burst of violence unrelated to the ongoing Tokyo Olympic Games.

The 36-year-old man told police he wanted to kill women who appeared happy, and chose his targets at random, police said. The initial victim, a woman in her 20s is in serious condition the other nine injured passengers were also taken to nearby hospitals. Police identified the attacker as Yusuke Tsushima.

Tokyo is currently hosting the Olympics, which end Sunday. The site of the stabbing spree was about 15 kilometers (9 miles) away from the main National Stadium where Brazil just won the gold metal in men’s football.

The man dropped his knife after the handle broke and fled, and later walked into a convenience store and identified himself as the suspect on the news. He said he was tired of running away, according to media reports.

The store manager called police after seeing bloodstains on the man’s shirt.

TBS television said Mr Tsushima told police he developed the intent to kill women who “looked happy,” and stabbed a woman who happened to be seated near him in the carriage. He also told police that he chose to stage the attack inside a train because it offered the chance to kill a large number of people.

The suspect, who boarded the train with the knife, scissors, cooking oil and a lighter, moved to other carriages after stabbing the first woman. In one car, he poured cooking oil on the floor and tried to set it on fire, Kyodo News agency reported, quoting police. He intentionally chose an express train that makes fewer stops, having passengers stay on board longer, the report said.

The man also told police he initially planned to attack a female shop employee who reported him shoplifting to police earlier in the day, but realizing it was past closing time, he decided to carry out attacks on the train, TBS reported.

A witness at a nearby station where the train stopped said passengers were rushing out of the carriages, shouting that there was a stabbing and asking for first aid. Another witness told NHK that he saw passengers smeared with blood come out of the train, as an announcer asked for doctors and for passengers carrying towels.

The stabbing occurred near Seijogakuen station, according to railway operator Odakyu Electric Railway Co.

Source: The Associated Press