Suspect wrote about wanting to kill the kids and himself, police say.
A man was arrested on Monday for allegedly driving his car into elementary students to try to kill them before he doused himself in oil and plunged a knife into his stomach.
Gifu police arrested Harumi Washimi, 68, on attempted murder and hit-and-run charges for allegedly driving into and injuring eight of 10 elementary students with the intention to kill them in Kaizu City on June 30 at around 7:30 a.m., the Yomiuri Shimbun reports (July 4).
Washimi declined to comment on the charges until after he talked to a lawyer.
After Washimi rammed into the students, he fled to a city hall parking lot. Nikkan Sports quoted Kyodo News as saying that an investigator spotted the suspect dousing himself in oil before he plunged a knife into his stomach.
Police were waiting until Washimi recovered at a hospital to arrest him.
A source involved with the investigation said officers searched Washimi’s home where they found notes describing his intent to kill the students and commit suicide.
Police concluded that Washimi, who is unemployed, intentionally rammed the students after failing to find brake marks at the incident site.
Source: Tokyo Reporter Image: ANN
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