Japan: Trainee cadet opens fire at colleagues, 2 dead, 1 injured

Tokyo [Japan], June 14 : A trainee member of the Self-Defence Forces (SDF) shot two of his colleagues with a rifle at a firing range in Gifu, central Japan, on Wednesday, resulting in two deaths and one major injury, reported Kyodo News citing police and other sources.

Following the incident, which happened at around 9 am (local time) during an exercise at the Ground Self-Defence Force facility, the 18-year-old male GSDF trainee was arrested on the spot for alleged attempted murder. Police reported that he had admitted to the shooting, as per Kyodo News.

Kyodo News is a news agency based in Minato, Tokyo.

Police said the two people who died were 25 and 52 years old. According to local firefighters, they were shot along with the third SDF member, who was also 25, and were both brought to a hospital. However, there were no reports of civilian casualties in the incident.

The firing range is around five km to the northeast of JR Gifu Station.

73-year-old Shoji Tsusaki, a neighbourhood resident, saw ambulances and fire trucks rushing to the sport around 9:30 am. He said that police vehicles and investigators also reached the spot.

Tsusaki had a gut feeling that "something terrible had happened." "I was just surprised," he continued, "I could not understand the situation."

Additionally, he saw an SDF soldier exiting the soundproof structure and sitting down while looking startled in camouflage gear.

The suspect's actions are beyond comprehension, said another 78-year-old man who formerly worked part-time for the SDF. The man also claimed that he had visited the scene because he was worried about what had occurred, Kyodo News reported.