Gunman Kills Four in Rural Japan

In an unusual instance of gun violence in Japan, a suspect has been detained for allegedly killing four people, including two police officers, in a gun and knife attack in the Nagano region. The suspect, who has not been formally identified, barricaded himself in a building and remained there most of the night after the attack. He was taken into custody outside a nearby farm. The latest victim of the attack, an elderly woman, was found later, injured at the scene and later pronounced dead. This attack comes amid Japan’s relatively low murder rate and strict gun laws. The suspect’s motive for the attack remains unclear. Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was assassinated in broad daylight in July last year with a homemade gun.