Man Arrested over High-Profile Stabbing in Fukuoka

Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Pref., Dec. 19 (Jiji Press)--Police arrested a 43-year-old man on Thursday after two junior high school students were stabbed at a hamburger shop in Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture, last weekend.

In the attack, Saaya Nakashima, a 15-year-old girl, was killed and a boy, also 15 years old, was seriously injured.

The prefectural police arrested Masanori Hirabaru on the charge of attempting to kill the boy by stabbing him in the back at the McDonald's restaurant in the southwestern Japan city's Kokuraminami Ward at around 8:25 p.m. on Saturday.

The Kokuraminami police station's first investigation division chief said Hirabaru has admitted to the charge, quoting him as saying, "I certainly did the act."

According to the investigation task force at the police station, the suspect arrived at the restaurant's parking lot about 15 minutes before attacking the junior high school third graders while they were waiting in line to make orders inside the building. He drove away after the incident.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]