At least eight individuals were injured in a hammer attack at a university in Tokyo on Friday, with the suspect detained, as reported by Japanese media.
Public broadcaster NHK stated that all the victims were conscious and cited police sources confirming the incident occurred at Hosei University’s Tama Campus in the afternoon.
According to Jiji Press, a woman in her 20s was arrested, while broadcaster FNN suggested the attacker might be a university student who was intercepted by campus staff.
Police have not yet provided details to AFP regarding the attack, an unusual occurrence of violent crime in Japan, a country known for its strict gun control laws.
NHK aired live footage showing emergency vehicles lined up with flashing lights at the campus, located in the suburban Machida area of Tokyo.
Although rare, violent incidents occasionally happen in Japan. In December, a junior high school student was fatally stabbed, and another injured, at a McDonald’s in southwestern Japan. A suspect was later arrested.
In 2019, a 51-year-old man carried out a stabbing spree in Kawasaki, targeting children waiting for a bus. He killed two people, including a schoolgirl, and injured over a dozen before taking his own life.
Japan also faced a high-profile assassination in 2022 when former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was fatally shot, a rare act of gun violence in the nation.Tokyo University Hammer Attack Leaves At Least 8 Injured: Reports
