Japan, which has been known for its safety, with strict gun control laws, again came to light after an 18-year-old army trainee shot three fellow soldiers at a firing range on a Japanese army base Wednesday, killing two of them. According to the NHK media, police said that the suspect was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder at the scene in Gifu prefecture in central Japan. The suspect fired a rifle at other soldiers during a shooting exercise at the Hino Kihon firing range, police said. Among the three wounded is a 25-year-old soldier, police said.
The Ground Self-Defense Force, Japan’s army, confirmed that two of those wounded were later pronounced dead at a hospital. A number of other people were believed to be participating in the training when the shooting occurred, but details are still under investigation, an army official said on condition of anonymity, citing protocol.
The safest country is now facing the worst gun violence
Japan has been known for its safety, with strict gun control laws, but high-profile violence has occurred in recent years, including shootings and random knifings on subways and arson attacks, and there is growing concern about homemade guns and explosives.
Earlier in April this year, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was almost hit by a pipe bomb thrown by a suspect at an election campaign venue. Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was assassinated in July 2022 by an attacker using a handmade gun. Last month, a man was arrested after he allegedly shot two police officers to death after killing two women with a knife in Nagano prefecture.
