Madness in Akiba.

I seriously wonder what it takes to turn a person into a murderer.

Source: Anime News Network

At least 16 people were injured, and two have been confirmed as dead, after a truck collided with pedestrians and the truck’s driver allegedly stabbed people at Tokyo’s Akihabara otaku shopping district on Sunday afternoon. A man reportedly struck five to six individuals with a truck at an intersection near the main Japan Railways station at around 12:35 p.m. The man allegedly proceeded to leave the vehicle and stab people on the street. Later that afternoon, the police arrested a 25-year-old male named Tomohiro Katō on suspicion of attempted murder by “stabbing one person after another with a knife.” Kato was born in Aomori Prefecture in northern Japan, but lives in Shizuoka Prefecture’s Susono City in central Japan.

16 people were taken to hospitals, and two people — a 19-year-old male and a 74-year-old male — have reportedly died. Three more were in cardiac arrest.

A 21-year-old woman is the sixth person confirmed as having died in the incident. The other victims are listed as a 19-year-old male named Kazunori Fujino, a 74-year-old male named Katsuhiko Nakamura, a 47-year-old male, a 29-year-old male, and a 20-year-old male.

UPDATE:

A seventh person, 33-year-old Mitsuru Matsui, has died. The incident in the intersection occurred near the main Akihabara branch of Sofmap, one of the largest Japanese retailers of electronics, music, home video, and software.

THIS IS WHAT A MURDERER LOOKS LIKE FOLKS. NEVER FORGIVE NEVER FORGET.

Jiji Press and Byōkan Sunday reports that a message, titled “I will kill people in Akihabara,” was posted on a mobile phone bulletin board about seven hours before the fatal hit-and-run incident and the stabbing incident in Akihabara.

It read:

I Will Kill People in Akihabara

06/08 05:21

I will come barging in with a vehicle, and if I can’t use the vehicle, I will use a knife. Farewell, everyone.

UPDATE 2:

IT JUST HAD TO FUCKING HAPPEN

Several Doujin mags were found in Kato’s apartment (yesterdays killer) and apparently he said that he only had interest in “anime and the 2D world” and also that he enjoyed singing anime songs – video clip at fnn.

The media and everybody else in high places (government etc) is going to come down on anime and otaku culture like a ton of bricks. I can see this leading people to think that we who enjoy anime are a dangerous bunch of people.

They’ve always wanted to put restrictions on anime/doujin and it looks like they now have the perfect excuse.

Source: DannyChoo

Thoughts

Absolute madness. I have to wonder what the hell was going trough that bastard’s mind when he went on a rampage. Whatever your frustrations are i believe it is inappropriate to take it out on others. I pray for the victims and his soul as well may they be granted peace. I seriously hope that the madman isn’t an otaku cause if he were, well you could guess the media circus that would ensue and we wouldn’t want that now would we?

After reading the latest update i concluded that this person deserves no mercy. Its bloody premeditated murder!!! That guy shall burn in hell for eternity.

OH SHIT!!! The person has connections to our beloved culture????? FUCK!!!!!!! NOO!!!!!!!!! The witch hunt has begun. expect oppressive new laws and otakus to be discriminated against. 1 person is not the basis of which you put an entire group to the gallows. 1 is not all. 1 is not fucking everyone.

Gird your souls well my brothers, they come from the depth of the darkness and are here to rob us of our freedom. Be prepared be strong, never surrender your pride as an otaku.

Let me be the first to say this here that this madman is no longer one of us. He ceased to be one the very moment he decide to take another life. No this being is lower than a human. He isn’t an otaku, he is an outcast, not one of our kind not anymore.

Do not fear my brothers as long as you have purity in your hearts and trust in your self, you will never fall.

Another thing i would like to add after seeing a comment of fellow comrade Hangmen. I’m in favor of the theory that the killer is seeking some form of fame as the media circus sensationalizes this whole tragic event. Im even willing to go so far as to say the killer played the media right into his hands and this whole tragedy is caused by the unethical reporting of today’s mass media which favors sensationalism over true journalism. FUCK I’M JUST FUCKING PISSED.

On another note i hate finals. That is all for this week.