When the police helicopter hovered overhead to arrest the suspect who shot and stabbed four people in Nakano, Mr. Dang closed the door of his house, and could not sleep all night.
On the evening of May 25, Nguyen Hai Dang, 30 years old, a Vietnamese interpreter working for a company in Nakano, Nagano province, Japan, was on his way home when he saw police cars and ambulances running. full of road. His phone also kept ringing, his colleagues rushed to call to ask about the situation.
Not understanding what was going on, Dang read the news on his phone and realized there was a stabbing and shooting incident in an area only about 500 meters from his house. A male suspect in his 30s killed a woman with a knife, then shot dead two policemen who arrived at the scene, then took hostages and entrenched in a house. The fourth victim died that night.
The police deployed a large force to the scene to arrest the suspect. Residents within a radius of 300 meters around the suspect’s entrenched location were told to evacuate, while the entire Nakano city population was advised to stay indoors until it was safe. The raid was conducted throughout the night of May 25.
“When I regained consciousness, I immediately went home to my wife and children, closed the door as advised by the authorities. At that time, the whole family heard two big shots. The whole night the helicopter was flying in the sky, couldn’t sleep. “, Dang recalled.
Police near the scene of a stabbing and shooting incident in Nakano city, Nagano prefecture on May 25. Image: Kyodo
Nakano is home to a large number of Vietnamese people living and working. Many Vietnamese people are surprised and worried when they hear the loud police sirens in the quiet countryside.
“I and everyone heard about the murder while working in the factory. Everyone panicked because such an incident has never happened in this area,” said Ha My, 22, a trainee from Quang Tri who is working. in Nagano, said. When I got off work, My did not dare to go home, for fear that the suspect might escape the police encirclement.
Chinh, a Vietnamese who works at the opposite factory, said the police had blocked all roads around the house. “Being alone so I was very scared, had to wear headphones to sleep,” she said.
Nguyen Mai, 30, a housewife in Nakano, said the couple had to constantly update news from the media all night, when the police operation to find the suspect took place. “This is a very big incident, we have a small child in kindergarten, so we are very worried,” Mai said.
At around 4:30 a.m. on May 26, police arrested the suspect outside a farm area near Nakano City. He was identified as Masanori Aoki, 31, the son of the head of the city council. After committing the crime, Aoki entrenched in his father’s house for hours with the hostages.
Suspect Masanori Aoki, 31 years old. NHK Screenshot
This is a rare case of violent crime in Japan, where murder rates are low and gun laws are the strictest in the world. Koichi Tani, director of the National Public Safety Commission, said the suspect had been granted a license by the provincial commission to possess shotguns and airguns.
“I was surprised to learn that the suspect is the son of the city council president. I spoke to him last year when I visited the chairman’s house. He was an ordinary young man, dedicated to farming. , the family is also not at odds,” a neighbor told Japanese media at the evacuation center.
The incident further increased public insecurity in Japan, which is considered one of the world’s leading safest countries. The people of this country last July were shocked by the assassination of former prime minister Shinzo Abe with a homemade gun. Last month, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was also attacked with a pipe bomb while campaigning in the western city of Wakayama.
Police have not determined the motive of suspect Masanori Aoki in the attack on May 25. Many Vietnamese in Nakano were relieved to know that the suspect had been arrested and that the community was safe, but said their view of an absolutely peaceful Japan had been shaken after the incident.
“In 8 years living in Japan, this is the first time I’ve witnessed such a scene. I thought the countryside would be more peaceful”, Mr. Dang said.
“Japan has a high level of security because people always follow the rules. But on the contrary, when they are angry, they don’t know what will happen,” Chinh said.
Duc Trung
