Two Japanese servicemen were fatally shot and one more injured in central Japan, when a novice soldier fired randomly at a military exercise ground. This was confirmed by its Chief of Staff Yasunori Morishita during a press conference.
A trainee from the Self-Defense Force was taken into custody and accused of attempting to commit murder.
On the scene of the shooting, an 18-year-old SDF candidate who enlisted in April was apprehended by other GSDF soldiers. According to reports, a male shooter fired eight shots at instructors during a training exercise in Gifu on Wednesday. One of the fatalities was a 25-year-old man.
The other casualties were two instructors, aged in their 20s and 50s, at the facility but their identities have yet to be identified. No civilians were involved in the incident.
It was reported that a shooting had taken place while some new members and potential applicants were taking part in a live-fire drill. According to a local resident, once the shooting ended several soldiers gathered near the range and embraced each other with tears in their eyes.
According to the long-time resident, this kind of occurrence was unheard of in his many years of experience living in the vicinity. After the attack, live-fire and dangerous drill exercises were paused countrywide, as informed by the chief of Japan’s Self-Defence Forces.
Japan has kept gun violence at an extremely low level, yet it remains that there have been a few major cases in the last 12 months.
