HYOGO (TR) – Hyogo Prefectural Police launched an investigation after a yakuza boss was injured in a shooting in Kobe City on Thursday, reports Fuji News Network (Aug. 6).
According to police, the victim is the 67-year-old boss of a gang affiliated with the Kobe Yamaguchi-gumi.
At around 10:30 a.m., a gunman opened fire, hitting the boss in the buttocks as he attempted to enter his vehicle in the Mitsuishidori area of Hyogo Ward.
The gunman then fled. The boss suffered injuries that are considered minor, police said.
The incident took place after the boss exited his residence. According to a witness, a motorcycle and a passenger car fled the scene afterward.
“A guy on the motorcycle was wearing a brown down jacket. I wondered why he was wearing a down jacket when it was so hot, and it really left an impression on me,” the witness said.
Two years ago, the same boss was stabbed by a member of the rival Yamaguchi-gumi syndicate in a shopping arcade in Kobe.
The boss suffered injuries to a shoulder and buttocks, police said at the time.
Police believe the latest incident could be related to an ongoing dispute between the Kobe Yamaguchi-gumi and the Yamaguchi-gumi. The case is being treated as attempted murder.