Police say 5 people killed in stabbing spree in small town in western Japan, suspect arrested

Published December 08, 2015

Police inspect a house where a stabbing murder took place in Sumoto, Hyogo prefecture, Monday, March 9, 2015. Police say five people have been killed in a stabbing spree in a small town in western Japan. A 40-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the Monday morning attacks.(AP Photo/Kyodo ews) JAPAN OUT, MANDATORY CREDIT (The Associated Press)

Police say five people have been killed in a stabbing spree in a small town in western Japan.

A 40-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the Monday morning attacks. The motive is unclear.

Media reports say the victims ranged in age from 60 to 80 years old and lived in two houses set among farms in the city of Sumoto on Awaji Island.

Keizo Okumoto, deputy chief of the Sumoto police, said the man who was arrested, Tatsuhiko Hirano, is a neighbor of the victims.

Okumoto said major crime is rare in Sumoto, a city of 44,000 people known for its oranges, onions and Awaji beef.

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