Two soldiers of the Japanese army have died this Wednesday in a shooting at the hands of a young trainee recruit at a training camp of the Japan Self-Defense Forces. The events occurred at the Hino indoor shooting range, in the city of Gifu, and the circumstances are still being investigated by the Japanese authorities.
The police arrested the young cadet at the same scene. The victims were 25 and 52 years old. In addition, there is another 25-year-old person who has been injured, according to police sources.
The detainee admitted to firing the rifle and police believe he used his weapon against the victims with intent to kill. Live-fire drills were being conducted for future members of the Ground Self Defense Force. The young recruit began his training in Moriyama last April, General Yasunori Morishita, chief of the General Staff of the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Forces and director of personnel for the body, explained at a press conference.
Morishita added that the shooting exercises throughout the country have been suspended after this event and assured that an investigation committee will be created to determine if the practices were being carried out properly and thus avoid recurrences.
It is not the first case of violence associated with members or former members of the Japanese army. Undoubtedly the most notorious case was that of the assassination in the middle of the street of the former Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe, during a political rally in July of last year by a former member of the Self-Defense Forces. In addition, in April of this same year, the current prime minister of the country, Fumio Kishida, was subjected to an assassination attempt during another electoral act.
Three weeks ago, a man who stabbed two women to death and shot two policemen, also causing their death, also made headlines in Japan. It was the first time since 1990 that a violent event had killed two officers. All of these events draw special attention as it is a country with one of the lowest homicide rates and firearms incidents in the world.
