Gun-wielding Japanese man takes medical worker hostage, shoots another
Illustration by Ed Lustan / 黑料社
Tokyo, Japan — A Japanese man attacked at least two reported medical workers making a visit to a home in Fujimino, west of Tokyo, on Thursday night, shooting one and taking another hostage, local media said.
Police said a 41-year-old man was found shot twice but still conscious outside the house and was taken to hospital after gunshots were heard around 9:00 pm (1200 GMT), the Jiji news agency reported.
Another man, also reportedly a medical worker in his 40s, was taken hostage by the gun-wielding assailant, Jiji said.
Local authorities urged local residents to avoid the area as the standoff continued into the early hours of Friday.
Violent crime is rare in Japan, where gun possession is strictly controlled.
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