The attack occurred at 7:16 PM local time in a busy shopping centre in the Ikebukuro neighbourhood. The male attacker was seen wielding knives in both hands, according to TV Asahi. He pushed behind the counter and suddenly attacked the shop employee several times, including in the neck. A bloodstained knife was found in a cloth nearby, the Mainichi Shimbun reported. Footage from the scene showed terrified shoppers and staff fleeing from the store. According to The Independent - Main, a witness described an incredible noise from behind the counter, so loud they thought something had fallen over, followed by a foreigner running up shouting for help.
The victim was a woman in her 20s, and the male attacker, also in his twenties, died by self-inflicted wounds, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department confirmed. The attack happened during Japan's children's spring break season. According to The Independent - Main, a man in his 20s described lots of families with children present because it was spring break, with kids running away in terror.
There was an incredible noise from behind the counter, so loud we thought something had fallen over. Immediately afterwards, a foreigner came running up shouting 'Help!'
The motive for the attack remains unclear, according to local media reports. The case is still under investigation and police had no other details. The complex is situated just a few hundred metres from Ikebukuro terminal, one of Tokyo's busiest train stations. According to The Independent - Main, a witness described three or four police officers carrying long-handled polearms going into the store and hearing a man shouting.
What prompted the violence and the identities of those involved have not been disclosed. It is unknown whether there were any other injuries or people involved in the incident, or what specific actions police took during the response. A spokesperson for The Pokemon Co was not immediately available for comment, leaving the company's official statement on the incident pending.
After that, three or four police officers carrying long-handled polearms went into the store, and we heard a man shouting 'Ahhh!'
There were lots of families with children because it was spring break, and the kids were running away too. It was terrifying.