On the 14th, in Kitakyushu City, two junior high school students were stabbed with a knife by a man on their way home from cram school, and the female student died. The whereabouts of the perpetrator are still unknown even after two days. The brutal crime is said to have taken less than 30 seconds. The area is filled with anxiety and tension. ■Strong intent to kill that could be fatal The scene is about 7 kilometers south of JR Kokura Station. The fast food restaurant is located along a national highway lined with apartment buildings and restaurants, and the surrounding area is also home to many nursery schools, elementary schools and junior high schools. According to investigators, the two third-year junior high school students, a boy and a girl, who were on their way home from cram school, were at the end of a line waiting to order at the cash register. The man entered through the entrance facing the national highway, went to the two without wandering around, and stabbed them one after the other. The crime is believed to have been committed in less than 30 seconds. The man left the store through the same door he entered and fled north. Saya Nakajima (15), who was stabbed in the abdomen, was taken to the hospital but died. The male student (15) who was stabbed around the waist is not in a life-threatening condition, but it was discovered that he had sustained deep wounds that could have been fatal. Both students were stabbed only once. The male student is said to have said that he was stabbed by a complete stranger. A man who saw the male student being taken away said, "When I arrived, the male student hadn't been taken away yet. He was taken away a few minutes after I arrived." (Q. What did he look like?) "He was on a stretcher and seemed exhausted. He wasn't making any noise, he was basically just sleeping." (Q. What did the police say about the murder weapon?) "They said it was a knife with a blade of 30cm or something." This man came from the direction from which the man is thought to have fled. A man who saw the male student being taken away (Q. Was there a suspicious person coming towards him?) "I didn't pass anyone." (Q. Do you remember passing anyone?) "No." ■ Heading north in "yellow sandals"? The stabbing man was described as around 170cm tall, around 40 years old, of medium build, wearing a grey jacket and black trousers, and was recently found to be wearing what appeared to be yellow open-toed sandals. Security camera footage from the opposite side of the road about 150m north of the crime scene showed no human figures immediately after the crime. Perhaps the man took a side street along the way. On the 16th, people were seen laying flowers at the scene. A person who came to lay flowers said, "Until about six months ago, I lived within walking distance. It's a very popular area for families with children. This McDonald's and my son come here a lot. As reported in the news, we all come here to reset our brains after cram school. A child who is close to my son came here about an hour before the incident. What if the time had been a little different? I really want them to catch him quickly. I don't feel safe." "I have a daughter myself, so when I think about how the father and mother must feel, I can't help but feel angry. The perpetrator is so cowardly." ■ Suspicious person sightings...Widespread anxiety Although it is unclear whether this is related to the incident, police have collected cigarette butts from the premises of a car dealership about 120 meters north of the scene. There have been reports of suspicious people being seen after the incident. Vigilance continues around the scene. The principal of a nearby elementary school said, "We have received a call from the morning saying that over 20 children are absent because they are anxious about going to school. We have deployed teachers and staff along each route to school and are keeping an eye on the children as they go to school, while also calling on local residents and the PTA." As for the parents who came to pick up their children... Parent (Q: Always comes to pick up) "Usually I go home alone, but today I got a call from the school and was told to take my child home and pick him up, so I left work early to pick him up. Everyone is saying it's scary, and it seems like a lot of the kids in the class were absent. It's scary." "There was a scary incident, so today I took the car. The communication network has been circulating. They've said, 'Avoid going out unless it's absolutely necessary.'" The store where the incident occurred is said to usually be full of students. Parent: "There are a lot of young people, and a wide range of ages. I see people in their 40s and 50s. I don't think they're using their time effectively, but I see students studying." There is no connection to the incident, but there were comments like this. The girl's mother said, "My daughter, a second-grader, said that she went to a park to play and saw someone with a knife, so she went to a different park. She was playing from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm on the 14th, so she saw him during that time. It was a man, and there was a woman next to him. My daughter said that she had never seen anyone like him before. The man was a little older than her husband. My husband is 35, so he must have been older than her, so he was probably between 35 and 40 years old. It was about the same size as a kitchen knife sold at a 100 yen shop. But he was just left there naked, with a cover next to it." (Q. Did you report the incident to the police?) "Yes." It is not known whether the man who stabbed the girl knew each other. The police are investigating the possibility that the two were attacked indiscriminately. A wake was held for the deceased Nakajima on the night of the 16th, and many people came to pay their respects. What was the motive for the "crime in less than 30 seconds"? We asked Sasaki Seizo, a former detective in the Saitama Prefectural Police's First Investigation Division. (Q. What can be seen from the modus operandi of the crime, in which two people were stabbed in a short space of time?) Sasaki Seizo: "What is clear from the fact that the fatal wound was inflicted with a single stab is that there was no hesitation and that there was a 'clear intent to kill.' Also, given that it is possible that a long knife was prepared beforehand, it seems likely that it was planned. The hint of a grudge has not disappeared, but the reason the culprit has not been identified until now is most likely because 'he had no contact with the victims.'" (Q. Regarding clothing) Sasaki Seizo: "I don't sense any intention to flee. If the man was wearing sandals, then if he was thinking of fleeing he would have worn shoes that were more comfortable to move in. Also, since the crime was committed in a visible place, inside a store, it is possible that 'killing someone with a knife' was the goal in itself." (Q. What are the key points for future investigations?) Sasaki Seizo: "One of the key points is the 'car's dashcam.' In addition to 'surrounding security cameras,' dashcams of cars that passed around the scene are also a useful means of tracking down the criminal. According to the police, after the incident, anyone who passed around the scene around 8:25 pm on the 14th is asked to provide information to the police. Even if the suspicious man is not captured on the dashcam, it is important information for the police because it can eliminate the option of an escape route by saying, 'the man did not pass around at this time.'" [TV Asahi News] https://news.tv-asahi.co.jp