KANGAWA (TR) – A man fatally stabbed 2 persons and hurt 17 others, mainly school children, before he took his own life in Kawasaki City’s Tama Ward on Tuesday, local authorities said, reports TBS News (May 28).
At around 7:40 a.m., the man, who has not yet been identified, held knives in both hands as he randomly stabbed the persons, 16 of whom are female students at Caritas Elementary School, at a bus stop at Noborito Daiichi Park.
Hanako Kuribayashi, an 11-year-old sixth-grade student, and Satoshi Oyama, a 39-year-old staff member at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, were confirmed dead in a hospital due to stab wounds to the neck, the authorities said.
Suffering serious injuries were a woman in her 40s and two girls. Meanwhile, 13 other girls and a male student were also injured.
Officers arriving at the scene apprehended the man, who was in possession of two knives. An additional two knives were found in a backpack that is believed to belong to the suspect.
Believed to be 51 years of age, he later died in a hospital due to a self-inflicted wound to the neck, police said.
Update: The perpetrator has been identified as Ryuichi Iwasaki.
