Japan's Joker assailant wanted to "kill lots of people"-police

Kyota Hattori, 24, who was arrested on suspicion of a knife, arson and acid attack incident on the Keio Line train on Halloween day on October 31, 2021, is escorted to the prosecutor's office from the Chofu police station in Tokyo, Japan November 2, 2021 in this photo taken by Kyodo. Mandatory credit Kyodo/via REUTERS

TOKYO (Reuters) - A drifter who admired the Joker from Batman and dressed as him to carry out a Halloween attack on a Tokyo train "wanted to kill lots of people" and planned his moves over months, buying a knife to use in the internet, police and media said on Tuesday.

The stabbing and arson attack, which briefly sent fire flaring in a train carriage, was carried out on Sunday night as many party-goers headed into Tokyo for Halloween celebrations and sent passengers screaming down the aisles of train carriages and scrambling out of windows to escape.