Scary Hostage Situation As Gunman In His 'Eighties' Holds Several People Captive!

Police officers rendezvoused at a Warabi city building in Japan, where two people were taken captive by a suspected 'gunman in his eighties.'

The suspect, identified as an elderly man, could have taken up to 10 hostages with him. This happened shortly after an allegedly linked incident occurred at a nearby medical facility.

An unidentified armed man abducted women at a Warabi city post office in Japan. Per Daily Mail, the victims, who are allegedly in their 20s and 30s, were held hostage at 2:15 pm GMT +9.

The authorities reported, "At approximately 2:15 pm today [local time], a person took hostages and holed up at a post office in Chuo 5-chome area of Warabi city... The perpetrator is possessing what appears to be a gun."

The alleged gunman was identified to be elderly and around eighty years old. Witnesses told the authorities that the suspect wore a white shirt and a dark coat with a baseball hat. He was noted to be armed and dangerous, as something that appeared to be a gun was spotted around his neck.

According to the report, the gunman was also suspected to have highly flammable chemicals like kerosene and Paraffin in his possession. While only two victims were highlighted in the incident, the shooter may have abducted several others, according to a local news report.

The abduction followed a shooting at a hospital a mile away from the post office. Authorities and witnesses suspect that the events are linked. However, it's yet to be confirmed. 

A shooter left two injured victims at the general hospital before escaping on a power bike. While he's yet to be identified, witnesses gave accounts of the incident.

The victims, an elderly patient and a doctor in his 40s were on the ground floor of the building when they allegedly got hit from the street. 

A witness recounted to NHK, "After 1pm, I heard a woman shouting 'Someone, please come,' and a nurse told me, 'Stay away from the windows and keep your head low.'"

He added that there were gunshots inside a doctor's office, as confirmed by a nurse. He said, "Around 2pm, I looked inside the doctor's office and saw a pool of blood next to an examination table. I didn't hear a gunshot. But a nurse said she heard two gunshots." The victims are reportedly safe and healing despite the sudden attack.

Prior to the possibly life-threatening incidents, shooting crimes have been at an all-time high in Japan recently. This is unusual for the country, which is known for its peaceful society and barely records violent crimes. There were only nine reported shooting incidents in 2022, with six of them related to gang crimes.

However, the increasing worry relates to handmade weapons, including guns. In one of the fatal incidents of last year, the former Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, was gunned down by an armed man during a campaign rally in July. An image taken prior to the incident showed a man in cargo pants and a green shirt walking behind him.

In another similar incident, a man was arrested for threatening the life of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in April this year. He allegedly brought an explosive close to him during a campaign in Wakayama. While he was unharmed, witnesses were still concerned that the incident with Shinzo Abe could have been repeated.

The attack occurred only 60 miles away from the crime scene of the murder of the former Prime Minister. According to witnesses, there was a loud explosion, which caused people to panic and hide. 

Shortly after, the police took a man into custody after subduing him. He had allegedly thrown "what appeared to be a smoke bomb," which caused the sound of the explosion.

Apart from attacks on the prime minister, the residents are equally endangered by violent crimes. Another man was accused of the murder of four people with a knife and gun in May. The suspect, 31-year-old Masanori Aoki, was arrested for killing the victims, identified to include two policemen and an elderly woman.