A recruit shoots three soldiers at a military base in Japan; two die

TOKYO (AP) — An 18-year-old conscript shot three soldiers on Wednesday at a firing range at a Japanese army base, killing two of them, authorities said.

The recruit was arrested for attempted murder at the base, located in Gifu prefecture in central Japan, according to police.

The detainee opened fire with a rifle at other soldiers during a shooting exercise at the Hino Kihon shooting range, according to the police.

The Ground Self-Defense Force, Japan’s army, confirmed that two of the wounded later died at a hospital.

The chief of the General Staff, Yasunori Morishita, reported that the suspect joined the military ranks in April and that three soldiers were supporting him as instructors in his shooting exercises.

“An organization that handles weapons should never allow an incident like this to happen,” Morishita added at a press conference. “As the head of the army, I take this very seriously.”

Morishita reported that he has already ordered the temporary suspension of exercises that include shooting and explosives throughout the country while the army investigates and prepares security measures to prevent similar incidents from happening again.

Several other people appeared to be taking part in the training when the shooting took place, although the details remain under investigation, said an army official who requested anonymity due to protocol rules.

Japan is famous for its safety due to its strict gun control laws, but in recent years there have been major acts of violence, including random shootings and stabbings in the subway, arson attacks, while concerns about manufacturing home of weapons and explosives.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was nearly hit by a pipe bomb thrown by a suspect during an election rally in April.

Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was assassinated in July 2022 by an assailant using a homemade firearm.

Last month, a man was arrested after fatally shooting two police officers and earlier stabbing two women to death in Nagano prefecture.