Shooting in Japan, suspect takes hostages

According to The Japan Times , the shooting occurred on the afternoon of October 31 (local time) at a hospital in Toda City, Saitama Prefecture, Japan, with two people injured but not in life-threatening situations. The victims included a doctor in his 40s and a patient in his 60s.

Police outside the post office in Warabi, where the shooting suspect barricaded himself

The suspect then entered a post office in the neighboring city of Warabi at 2:15 p.m. and continued shooting. Authorities are still trying to determine whether hostages were taken.

Police received reports of a shooting at the hospital at 1 p.m. Several hospital staff reported hearing gunshots, and one from the general ward said it appeared the shots were fired from outside the hospital.

NHK helicopter footage showed police cars parked around the post office and blocking nearby roads. Police officers carried shields. The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department dispatched a special unit specializing in hostage rescue and kidnapping-for-ransom situations to the scene.

AFP quoted Warabi city authorities as saying that a person had taken hostages in the post office and appeared to be in possession of a gun. The Yomiuri newspaper reported that about 10 postal workers could be in the building while the suspect may have been carrying kerosene.

Police cars outside the post office after the shooting on October 31.

The exact age of the gunman is not yet known. The Toda City government posted a notice saying the suspect was of medium build and between 40 and 50 years old, wearing a black long-sleeved shirt and may have left the scene on a motorcycle. Authorities urged people near the post office to stay out of their homes and follow police instructions.

Japan has some of the strictest gun control laws in the world. It is illegal for citizens to own, carry, or buy guns.

The number of shootings in Japan over the past decade has been around 10-50 a year, mostly involving organized crime groups. In 2021, the most recent police data showed there were 177,719 licensed guns, mostly for hunting purposes.

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