A Ground Self-Defense Force recruit shot three instructors, two of whom were killed and another seriously injured, on Wednesday during a live-fire training exercise at the force's firing range in central Japan, the GSDF said.
The recruit, an 18-year-old male, was arrested at the site following the incident that occurred at around 9:10 a.m. during the indoor exercise in Gifu Prefecture, according to the GSDF. He has admitted to shooting the victims with a rifle, police said.
There were no reports of civilian casualties.
The two who died were aged 52 and 25, according to the police. They and the third SDF member shot, also 25, were taken to hospital, according to local firefighters.
The recruit denied his intention to kill the 25-year-old who died, said the police, which will jointly look into the incident and the shooter's motive with a GSDF section.
The suspect was quoted as telling investigators that the 25-year-old was not his target but merely got in the way as he fired at another person, investigative sources said, suggesting the trainee initially took aim at the 52-year-old.
"As an organization that handles weapons, such things should never happen," Gen. Yasunori Morishita, chief of staff of the GSDF, told a press conference at the Defense Ministry in Tokyo.
Following the incident, the GSDF will immediately suspend all shooting and explosion drills across the nation to ensure the safety of its troops, according to Morishita. He also said the GSDF will set up an investigation panel to prevent the recurrence of such an incident.
The trainee joined the GSDF in April and belonged to the same regiment as the three senior personnel in charge of training, Morishita said.
The training session involved approximately 120 personnel, including some 70 recruits. Its purpose was for them to acquire expertise in utilizing a commonly employed assault rifle, and it was the fifth and last drill for the suspect, according to the GSDF.
Further details, such as personal relations between the recruit and the victims, are being investigated, the GSDF said.
GSDF recruits start working as regular personnel with fixed terms of a year and nine months after a three-month educational training period, according to the ministry.
"I sincerely apologize for causing worry to Japanese people," Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada told reporters in Tokyo.
The firing range is about 5 kilometers northeast of JR Gifu Station.
Shoji Tsusaki, 73, who lives nearby, witnessed ambulances and firetrucks rushing to the scene around 9:30 a.m. Police vehicles also arrived, and investigators entered the facility, he said.
Tsusaki sensed that "something terrible had happened." He added, "I was just surprised and could not understand the situation."
He also saw a GSDF member in camouflage uniform come out of the soundproof building and sit down, looking stunned.
"I cannot understand why the suspect did such a thing," said a 78-year-old man who used to work part-time for the SDF. The man, who lives in the city, said he came to the site as he was concerned about what had happened.
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