Japanese law enforcement have apprehended a knife-wielding suspect accused of slashing three people on a train in the western part of the country July 23.
Police officials detained a 37-year-old suspect on the platform of Rinku Town station in Osaka after three people were reportedly stabbed while riding the train, according to The Associated Press (AP). Those reportedly injured were a train conductor in his 20s and two male passengers aged 23 and 79. The victims suffered non-life threatening injuries and were taken to a local hospital for treatment, the outlet noted.
Japanese police said Monday that they have arrested a man on suspicion of slashing three people on a train in western Japan.https://t.co/JdY9idoUCm
— ABC News (@ABC) July 24, 2023
Police were alerted to the station by an emergency call from another passenger, per The AP. As four police officers arrived on the platform, the 37-year-old suspect reportedly stepped off the train allegedly carrying three knives on his person. When the suspect allegedly refused to comply with the police order to drop the weapons, they were knocked from his hands by one police officer while another worked to detain him, the outlet noted.
While passengers described the attack as sudden, the suspect allegedly told law enforcement officials his reasons for carrying out the stabbing was because he had “trouble” with the passengers, The AP reported.
While violent crime is rare in Japan, there has been well-known instances in recent years of random stabbings on passenger trains as well as arson attacks in the country, per The AP. (RELATED: Mass Stabbing In Japan Leaves 17 Injured, 3 Dead, Including 11-Year-Old Girl)
An investigation into the incident is ongoing.