City on Edge as Police Hunt for Suspect in Fatal Attack

Fear Grips the City

On January 22nd, a man was fatally stabbed in front of JR Nagano Station in a seemingly random attack. The victim, 49-year-old Hiroyoshi Maruyama, was stabbed twice, once in the chest and once in the back, and died from blood loss. Two others were also injured in the attack, one seriously.

Security camera footage shows the suspect, a middle-aged man with a beard and glasses, walking around the station for about an hour before the attack. He is seen standing near the crime scene at 7:48 p.m. before walking away and then returning. Ambulances arrive at the scene at 8:15 p.m.

The attack has sent shockwaves through the city, with many residents afraid to leave their homes. The Nagano city board of education reports that around 2,800 children, or about 10% of the city's elementary and junior high school students, did not attend school on January 23rd due to fear. The number of children staying home dropped to around 2,000 on January 24th.

Police are still searching for the suspect and have released images from the security footage in the hope that someone will recognize him. They are also urging anyone with information about the attack to come forward.