Suspected gunman takes hostages in Japanese post office - authorities (updated)
31/10/2023 09:29
(Adds details)
TOKYO, Oct 31 (Reuters) - A suspected gunman has taken
at least two people hostage in a post office in Japan after
wounding two other people in a shooting at a hospital,
authorities and media said on Tuesday.
The government of the city of Warabi, just north of Tokyo,
said in a statement an undetermined number of hostages were
taken by a man "in possession of something like a handgun".
At least two female post office workers in their 20s and 30s
had been taken hostage, media reported.
The man, between 40 and 50 years old, was earlier involved
in a shooting at a hospital in the neighbouring city of Toda and
then fled the scene, municipal authorities there said. Two
people were injured at the hospital, media reported.
Images broadcast on television showed a man wearing a track
suit top and white shirt standing just inside the post office
brandishing what looked like a pistol. Several police officers
wearing body armour were stationed nearby.
Violent crime, especially incidents involving guns, is rare
in Japan.
There were just nine shooting incidents last year, according
to the national police agency, of which six were related to
criminal gangs.
Those incidents resulted in four fatalities, including the
killing of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe by a man with a
homemade gun at a campaign rally in July.
(Reporting by Sugiyama Satoshi, Sakura Murakami and Tim Kelly;
Writing by John Geddie; Editing by Christian Schmollinger)
((John.Geddie@thomsonreuters.com; +81 80 7264 2833;))