A man dressed as the Joker aboard a commuter train in Tokyo randomly attacked several people on Sunday. Police said the man stabbed several passengers on board the train before attempting to set it on fire.
The attack sent dozens of people scrambling to escape the train, forcing some to jump out of the car's windows. The incident occurred inside the Keio train just as it was approaching the Kokuryo station in Tokyo.
The Tokyo Fire Department said at least 17 people were injured during the attack, with three people in serious condition. Some people had been injured during their panic to escape.
A report from NHK identified the attacker as a 24-year-old man who was dressed in a bright outfit, which included a green shirt, a blue suit, and a purple coat. His costume was described by witnesses as being similar to the one worn by Batman's rival, The Joker.
Police said they have already arrested the man and he is facing possible charges of attempted murder. Nippon Television said the man had told police that he wanted to kill as many people as possible so that he would get the death penalty. The man reportedly referred to a similar train stabbing case as an example.
Videos of the incident were uploaded on social media. One video showed passengers escaping through the train's windows in panic as firefighters, police, and paramedics scrambled to rescue them. Another video showed passengers running away from another car that was already on fire.
Police said the man had used an unknown liquid from a plastic bottle to set fire to parts of the train. One witness said he had heard an explosive noise before seeing smoke billow out of another car. Before figuring out what had happened, the witness said he immediately jumped from the windows in panic.
The incident was the second such incident involving a knife aboard a train over the last two months. In August, a 36-year-old man stabbed ten passengers on a Tokyo commuter train in an act of random violence the day before the Tokyo Olympics closing ceremony. Later, the guy informed authorities that he intended to attack all those he viewed as happy people.
While firearm attacks are uncommon in Japan, several high-profile knife attacks have occurred in recent years.
A guy with two knives assaulted a gathering of schoolgirls waiting for a bus outside of Tokyo in 2019, killing two people and wounding 17 others before killing himself. In a knife assault on a bullet train in 2018, a guy killed one passenger and injured two more. In 2016, a former employee at a disabled-housing facility killed 19 individuals and wounded over 20 others.
