Armed Suspect Arrested After Tokyo Post Office Standoff, Possibly Connected to Hospital Shooting
TOKYO — Police successfully resolved an eight-hour standoff at a post office located north of Tokyo, apprehending an armed suspect and freeing two hostages unharmed. The incident took place shortly after a shooting occurred at a nearby hospital, leading authorities to suspect a potential connection between the two incidents.
On Tuesday, a man carrying a firearm entered the post office in Warabi, approximately one hour following the hospital shooting, which resulted in two individuals sustaining injuries in the neighboring city of Toda.
NHK television footage depicted an older man sitting between two police officers in the back seat of a police car, as they drove past reporters en route to a local police station.
Law enforcement authorities stormed the building and successfully captured the suspect approximately one hour after the second postal staff member escaped without any harm. NHK reports also confirmed that the other hostage had safely exited the premises nearly two hours earlier.
Police officials are currently investigating both the hospital shooting and the post office incident, as they believe the events may be interconnected. They are also examining a fire that occurred in a building reportedly linked to the suspect.
The apprehended suspect has been identified as 86-year-old Tsuneo Suzuki, a resident of Toda. Suzuki faces charges of compulsion and taking hostages, offenses that carry a maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment.
According to the police, Suzuki entered the post office and held two female staff members, in their twenties and thirties, at gunpoint. He demanded that officials arrange a meeting with an unidentified individual, although further details about the person he sought to meet were not disclosed. Initially, the police kept the specifics of the hostage situation undisclosed to ensure the safety of the individuals involved.
Authorities are also examining the weapon used by the suspect, including whether it was modified, as well as how and where he obtained it. Furthermore, they are delving into Suzuki’s background and motives. Reports from Kyodo News agency indicate that Suzuki was carrying two knives, a kerosene container, and a bottle of unidentified liquid.
Hundreds of police officers surrounded the post office building during the standoff. Television coverage exhibited officers wearing helmets and bulletproof vests, taking cover behind the doors of a parked patrol vehicle. A brief glimpse of the suspect, donning a cap and holding a gun, was also captured as he briefly appeared at the entrance.
Earlier on Tuesday, Saitama Prefectural Police reported that two men—an attending doctor in his forties and a patient in his sixties—were wounded when apparent gunfire was heard outside a hospital in Toda.
The victims, who were both conscious, sustained non-life-threatening injuries caused by either glass shards or a bullet, following an attack that occurred while they were inside a consultation room on the first floor. The windows were broken during the incident. Police are investigating the possibility of the doctor and patient being hit by either glass fragments or a bullet.
The assailant apparently fired the weapon from the street before fleeing the scene on a motorcycle.
During the standoff, the majority of the post office staff managed to leave the premises safely. However, two employees remained inside for the duration. One staff member exited the building after approximately five hours, while the second emerged two hours later.
Due to the ongoing situation, residents near the post office were advised by the police to seek shelter at a dedicated facility. Approximately 300 children from a nearby school, who usually walk home, were escorted by bus as a precautionary measure, as reported by local media.
While Japan maintains restrictive gun control laws, concerns have arisen in recent years regarding the prevalence of homemade weapons, such as the one employed in the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in July 2022.
In the aftermath of these incidents, the investigation will continue to ascertain the motivations and circumstances surrounding both the hospital shooting and the post office standoff. As more details emerge, law enforcement officials will work to piece together the events in order to provide a comprehensive understanding of the situation.
