79-year-old arrested after separate shootings in Japan’s Kobe leave one dead

Two men were shot in separate shootings in western Japan’s Kobe on Sept 30, leaving one dead, the local authorities said.

The authorities received an emergency call at around 1.15pm local time that a man had been “shot in the abdomen” in Kobe’s Chuo ward. About 20 minutes later, another emergency call was received reporting that a man had been “shot in the back” in the city’s Hyogo ward.

The police have arrested a 79-year-old man, who lives in the city, for his alleged involvement in the shooting in Hyogo ward. He has also hinted at his involvement in the other shooting.

The victim in the Chuo ward incident was unresponsive when taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead about an hour later. The 54-year-old man shot in Hyogo ward was conscious, according to police and fire authorities.

“I didn’t think such a thing would happen in this quiet residential area,” said a 73-year-old man who lives near the scene in Chuo ward, where police had cordoned off the street with cones and tape. KYODO NEWS