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Agence France-Presse

A man was arrested on Thursday over the fatal stabbing of a junior high school student and the wounding of another at a McDonald’s in southwest Japan, local media reported.
Violent crime is rare in Japan, but there are occasional stabbings and even shootings, including the 2022 assassination of former prime minister Shinzo Abe.
The teens were in line to order at around 8:30pm on Saturday when the attacker reportedly entered the restaurant in the city of Kitakyushu and wordlessly stabbed them both.
Police have arrested a man in his 40s who lives nearby, public broadcaster NHK and other media outlets said. Officers could not immediately confirm the reports to AFP.
Saaya Nakashima was stabbed in the abdomen and later confirmed dead at a hospital.
The boy, who was stabbed in the waist area and remains in hospital, was quoted as saying they were “stabbed by a complete stranger”.
An analysis of Nakashima’s smartphone did not reveal any issues that could have caused her to be targeted, while she had not previously contacted the police.


According to the police, the suspect arrived and left the restaurant by car. The murder weapon has not been found.
The school the boy and girl attended was closed on Monday, and some residents told local media they feared going outside after the attack, which may have been random.
The restaurant was open on Wednesday, but only for drive-through orders, with police cars frequently patrolling the area.
In 2019, two people including a schoolgirl were stabbed to death and more than a dozen wounded in Japan’s Kawasaki in a rampage by an attacker who targeted children waiting for a bus.
The 51-year-old attacker in that incident also fatally stabbed himself.
Additional reporting by Kyodo


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East Asia

Saaya Nakashima and another student were attacked inside the restaurant in Kitakyushu last week


Saaya Nakashima and another student were attacked inside the restaurant in Kitakyushu last week.


Crime