An 18-year-old trainee of the Japan Self-Defense Force (JSDF) was arrested after he allegedly shot three soldiers with a rifle at a Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) shooting range in Gifu, southwest of Tokyo, Wednesday morning.
The incident marked the first fatal shooting at a JSDF facility in nearly 40 years.
Investigators said the recruit shot the three personnel using a Howa Type 89 assault rifle because they were allegedly obstructing the shooter's line of sight during live fire training. The recruit quickly admitted the crime and said he was being held at the Gifu Prefectural Police station.
Police added they would continue investigating the incident alongside the JGSDF Middle Army military police unit.
All three servicemen were instructors and were taken to the hospital. Two of them, a 52-year-old and a 25-year-old, died shortly after, while another 25-year-old was injured and remains in hospital.
No civilian casualties were reported.
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JSDF Suspends All Live Fire Training
In response to the incident, Japanese defense minister Yasukazu Hamada expressed remorse for the "great concern [it] has caused everyone" in the country, while JGSDF chief of staff Gen. Yasunori Morishita stated it would set up an investigation committee to determine the case and prevent a similar case happening in the future.
"As an organization that uses weapons, this kind of incident should never have happened," the general said. "In response...we have immediately suspended all [live] firing drills throughout the country."
Morishita added the JGSDF had instructed personnel to ensure the management of their safety and would be provided with comprehensive training. He also said they would look into whether the arrested recruit was frustrated with his training or other factors that might have led to the shooting.
The JSDF has not provided any information on whether the victims wore bulletproof vests during the incident.
Previous Shooting Incidents in Japan
Prior to the shooting, the last time a similar incident happened was in 1984, when a 21-year-old trainee fired shots during training at a base in Yamaguchi, killing one service member and injuring three others. The man fled the scene but was arrested later that day.
While gun violence is rare in Japan, there has been an increase in cases in recent years. Former prime minister Shinzo Abe was assassinated in July 2022 by an attacker using a handmade gun, while his successor, Fumio Kishida, was almost hit by a pipe bomb thrown by a person at an election campaign venue in April.
Last month, a man was also arrested after he allegedly shot two police officers to death after stabbing two women in Nagano prefecture.
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