Four dead, suspect arrested in rare shooting in Japan

Police officers stand near the scene of a stabbing and shooting incident in Nakano, Nagano Prefecture, Japan, in this photo taken by Kyodo on May 25, 2023. Mandatory credit Kyodo via REUTERS

TOKYO (Reuters) -Japanese authorities said on Friday they arrested a 31-year-old man in a rural area for suspected murder after four people were killed in a rare shooting and stabbing incident involving a 12-hour stand-off with police.

The suspect had holed up in his house after shooting two police officers who arrived at the scene in response to a report that a woman had been stabbed, the head of the Nagano prefectural police told a televised press conference. He used what appeared to be a hunting rifle in the shooting, he said.