TOKYO (AP) — Japanese authorities have detained a South Korean student in connection with a violent incident at Hosei University in Tokyo, during which multiple individuals were reportedly injured. The 22-year-old sociology student was taken into custody on suspicion of wielding a hammer to attack a fellow male student in a classroom at the university’s Tama campus in Tokyo’s western periphery last Friday, resulting in minor injuries, as per the Tokyo metropolitan police.
Local reports suggest that in addition to the initial victim, seven other students sustained minor injuries during the assault, as the suspect purportedly targeted them one after the other. The motive behind the attacks remains unclear, with uncertainty surrounding whether the actions were premeditated.
According to Kyodo News agency, the suspect disclosed to investigators that feelings of frustration stemming from perceived neglect and bullying by classmates prompted her actions. Allegedly, she utilized a hammer discovered on campus to carry out the assaults.
Eyewitnesses recount that approximately 150 students were present in the classroom at the time of the incident. One student informed Kyodo that the assailant appeared to swing the hammer in a haphazard manner, striking individuals seated in the rear rows, prompting chaos and a rush for safety. Another witness noted that the suspect maintained a blank expression and did not appear to be singling out specific targets.
Law enforcement officials have indicated that investigations into the matter are ongoing, though further details have not been disclosed at this time.
The incident has sparked concerns over discrimination faced by South Koreans in Japan, a historical issue rooted in Japan’s imperialistic colonization of the Korean Peninsula, which concluded with the nation’s defeat in World War II in 1945.
While serious crime remains relatively uncommon in Japan, instances of random violence, such as stabbings and shootings, have been reported in recent years. In December, a tragic event unfolded at a McDonald’s restaurant in Kitakyushu, where a junior high school student lost her life to a stabbing attack, with another individual sustaining injuries. Subsequently, a suspect was apprehended in connection with the seemingly arbitrary assault.
In a separate incident in 2022, three individuals, including two students en route to university entrance exams, fell victim to a stabbing outside the University of Tokyo. A 17-year-old student was arrested in the aftermath and later found guilty of attempted murder.
The authorities are dedicated to investigating these instances of violence thoroughly, underscoring the importance of upholding public safety and fostering a climate of security within educational institutions and public spaces across Japan.
