Police arrested eight youths, all aged from 16 to 18, early Monday on suspicion of attacking two young men Sunday in the town of Mihama, Aichi Prefecture, killing one of them, police said.
The eight suspects and two victims were members of the same youth gang, police said, adding that they believe the eight boys attacked the other two because they were trying to leave the group.
The suspects, whose names are being withheld due to their ages, have owned up to the charges, police said.
According to police, the victims were surrounded by the youths at a convenience store parking lot in Mihama at around 5:30 a.m. on Sunday. They were then attacked with baseball bats and knives.
Kazuomi Nakano, an 18-year-old employee at an auto repair shop, died from traumatic shock in hospital soon after the attack, while his friend suffered minor injuries.
The eight youths arrested also include one auto repair shop employee and construction workers, police said. The suspects turned themselves in to police Sunday afternoon, they added.