25-5-2023 (Tokyo) According to the Nagano Prefectural Police Headquarters, a person armed with a hunting rifle and a knife barricaded themselves in a location in the city of Nakano, Nagano Prefecture, at around 4:30 p.m. on the 25th, resulting in injuries to two police officers and two individuals, a man and a woman. The extent of their injuries remains unknown. Reports suggest that the assailant has fled the scene, prompting the local authorities to urge residents in the vicinity to stay indoors.
According to the police, the male suspect was described as wearing “camouflage clothing” with a “camouflage-patterned hat” and sporting sunglasses and a mask. Given the possibility that the suspect may still be armed, Nakano City and surrounding areas have issued a public advisory, urging residents not to venture outdoors.
In a recent update from Nakano City, it was revealed that just before 5 p.m., the police contacted the municipality, informing them of a “shotgun firing incident in the Ebe district.” The suspect is currently at large, leading the city officials to disseminate the information through disaster management radio broadcasts and crime prevention messages, urging residents in the vicinity to remain indoors.
A nearby employee of a local store stated, “We received a disaster radio broadcast instructing us not to go outside due to a shotgun firing incident. We could hear the sounds of ambulances and police cars.” The incident occurred approximately 1.5 kilometers west of Shinshu-Nakano Station on the Nagano Electric Railway Nagano Line. The area is lined with residential homes, restaurants, and other establishments, with a nearby fire station and nursery as well.
Footage captured by NHK’s cameras displayed multiple police vehicles, including patrol cars, parked in front of the building, while police officers cautiously patrolled the surrounding area. Some investigators were seen wearing helmets and face shields, and they were observed advising people not to approach the scene.
