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Fukuoka Police Arrest Suspect in Stabbings Near HKT48 Venue After Pay-Phone Confession

Investigators are examining motive, including possible indiscriminate targeting, after a pay phone confession.

Overview

  • Naoya Yamaguchi, 30, was taken into custody on suspicion of attempted murder and admitted responsibility, telling police he intended to kill.
  • A 27-year-old visitor was stabbed in the back inside Boss E・ZO Fukuoka, and a 44-year-old HKT48 event staffer was stabbed in the chest in a restricted parking area.
  • Both victims were hospitalized conscious with non-life-threatening injuries, according to police and media reports.
  • Police say Yamaguchi called from a pay phone in Kasuga around 2 a.m., first claiming to have seen the attacker before confessing, and was later found carrying two knives.
  • HKT48 canceled scheduled online meet-and-greet sessions and evacuated personnel from offices at the theater as police assess whether the attacks were random.