The Yomiuri Shimbun reported on the 2nd that a high school student broke into a Japanese middle school classroom and brandished a weapon, injuring a teacher and sending all students home.
According to reports, a 17-year-old male high school student holding a knife broke into a classroom at Misasa Middle School in Toda City, Saitama Prefecture, Japan at around 12:20 pm the previous day (1st) and brandished a weapon against a 60-year-old male teacher.
The high school student was caught by another teacher on the spot and was arrested as a red-handed criminal on charges of attempted murder by the police, who were dispatched after receiving a report. The injured male teacher was stabbed in several places in the upper body and taken to the hospital, but fortunately it was confirmed that there was no danger to life. No student harm was reported.
The Saitama Prefectural Police said the suspect was a high school student living in Saitama City, a city north of Toda City. He was not a graduate of Misasa Middle School, and he was not acquainted with the injured teacher. The suspect is known to have stated in the police investigation, “I wanted to kill anyone because anyone is fine.”
A police official said that the teacher, who witnessed the high school student entering the classroom holding a knife, evacuated the students and fought to grab the high school student. Three other teachers noticed the commotion and ran to catch the high school student in the hallway.
The middle school students testified that they were taking the test in multiple classrooms that day. The injured teacher was in charge of exam supervision in the first grade classroom on the third floor. When the weapon riot broke out, the students stayed in the classroom according to the teacher’s instructions and returned home in about 2 hours and 30 minutes.
A sophomore female student on the same floor told the Yomiuri Shimbun that she handed a hemostatic bandage for the injured teacher, saying that she heard an urgent voice calling out “Call an ambulance” near the end of the fourth period exam. She said at the time she was also scared that there were drops of blood in the hallway in front of her first grade classroom.
The school contacted parents and asked them to pick up the students if possible, and sent all students home. At night, an emergency parent meeting was held to explain the incident.
Local police obtained the knife used in the crime at the scene. The route of intrusion has not been identified, but it is known that the school gate was not locked. The police are investigating the exact circumstances of the incident, including the motive for the crime, against the bloody high school student.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.