Bloody Survival Knife Seized from Nagano Murder Suspect’s House

The Yomiuri Shimbun

14:41 JST, May 31, 2023

NAGANO — In connection with the shooting and stabbing incident in Nakano, Nagano Prefecture, that left four people dead, several knives, including a survival knife with blood on it, have been seized from the premises of the man arrested on suspicion of murder, according to investigative sources.

According to sources, Masanori Aoki, 31, told the police that he went back to pick up a hunting gun after attacking two women because he thought police officers would come since his attacks had been seen by people. The Nagano prefectural police believe Aoki intended to engage the police officers.

According to the prefectural police, on May 25 Aoki waited in front of his house for local residents Yasuko Takeuchi, 70, and Yukie Murakami, 66, who were taking a walk together, and attacked them with a knife a little after 4:20 p.m.

Aoki left the area where he had stabbed Murakami after chasing after her from his house, but he returned to the site with a hunting gun. He fired the gun twice toward Nakano Police Station officers Takuo Ikeuchi, 61, and Yoshiki Tamai, 46, when they arrived on the scene in a police car. Ikeuchi, in the driver’s seat, was shot in the chest.

According to sources, Tamai, who was in the passenger seat, had a bullet wound in his left arm and a stab wound deep enough to reach near his heart. Tamai was likely attacked with a knife while trying to get out of the car after being shot.

Drive recorder footage showed Aoki moving from the back of the police car to the passenger side, crouching down, then standing up and putting a knife away.

Aoki reportedly told the police, “I went back to get a hunting gun because I could be shot at if the police came.” Ikeuchi and Tamai, however, were not carrying guns. The prefectural police believe this was because the pair was the first to rush to the scene after receiving a report that the women had been attacked.