Prosecutors in Japan are charging a 42-year-old man in connection with a July 2019 fire that killed 36 people.
Shinji Aoba is accused of setting the famous animation studio Kyoto Animation on fire in what was the deadliest attack in Japan in decades, the New York Times (NYT) reported. 33 people were killed on the scene, 3 people later died of their injuries and another 33 people were injured. Many people were attempting to escape onto the roof when they died.
Aoba was charged with five crimes, including murder, arson and attempted murder, prosecutors in Kyoto said according to the report.
Aoba was arrested in May after he had sufficiently recovered from the injuries that he sustained in the fire, but prosecutors waited to charge him until Aoba had been given a psychological evaluation, NHK, a Japanese public broadcaster, reported according to the NYT. Aoba reportedly had a history of mental illness. (RELATED: Police Cruiser Set Ablaze In Suspected Portland Arson)
The Kyoto Animation Co studio building is pictured after being set ablaze by an arsonist on July 19, 2019 in Kyoto, Japan. Thirty three people are believed dead and dozens injured after a suspected arson attack on the animation studio. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images)
According to police reports, Aoba purchased 10 gallons of gasoline at a service station before the attack and screamed “die!” as he was lighting the studio on fire. Kyoto Animations was targeted because Aoba believed they had stolen a novel from him, news reports at the time said according to the NYT.
Violence is rare in Japan, and the fire happened less than two months after 17 schoolgirls and 2 adults were stabbed, leaving one child and one adult dead.
Kyoto Animation, which was founded in 1981, is known for creating stories that combine daily life with fantasy and science fiction, the Times reported. Their reputation for high-quality animation comes alongside a unique employee-centered approach in an industry where many employees are expected to work long hours for little pay.
The studio released “Violet Evergarden: The Movie” in September, its first release since the attack. The movie was delayed by the deadly fire.
Hideaki Hatta, the president of Kyoto Animation, spoke at a July news conference that marked the anniversary of the fire. He said that the studio was hoping to produce new animations and was slowly recovering, according to the NYT.