Police have arrested a man after a rare shooting and stabbing rampage left four people dead in Japan. The alleged killer stabbed a woman before shooting police officers with a hunting rifle. Later it emerged that a fourth victim had been killed – an elderly woman – however it is not clear how she died.

Police have named the suspect as Masanori Aoki, the 31-year-old son of the speaker of Nakano city’s assembly.

A witness told NHK public television that a woman fell while being chased by the suspect, who then stabbed her with a knife and shot at two police officers as they arrived at the scene in Nakano city in the prefecture of Nagano.

According to Kyodo News, the witness asked him: “Why would you do such a thing?” with the perpetrator replying: I killed her because I wanted to.”

The assailant then baricaded himself in his father’s house in Nakamo city, with his mother and aunt.

His father, Masamichi Aoki, was not present in the home.

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