A member of a police riot squad died in an apparent suicide in a restroom inside the west gate guard station at the Prime Minister’s Office in Tokyo early Friday morning, investigators said.
The 25-year-old man — identified as Yuta Kurokawa — appeared to have taken his own life with the gun he was carrying, an official at the Metropolitan Police Department said.
The official said a fellow policeman — who was using the restroom at the same time — found Kurokawa bleeding from the head at around 4:40 a.m. after hearing the sound of a gunshot. He was transported to a hospital but was confirmed dead approximately 30 minutes later. Investigators said they found the weapon near the body, and that a bullet had been fired from the gun. No suicide note was found.
Kurokawa, a member of the fourth detachment of the police riot squad, had been working a night shift when the incident occurred.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who has been on a weeklong tour in Africa and Singapore, was not in the office at the time.
In a previous incident in January, a 39-year-old sergeant and a member of the Metropolitan Police Department's riot squad died in an apparent suicide. He was found in a restroom inside a building in Tokyo's Nagatacho district near the Liberal Democratic Party's headquarters.
The officer's colleague found him bleeding from the head, with a gun lying on a floor nearby.
Information from Kyodo added
If you or someone you know is in crisis and needs help, resources are available. In case of an emergency in Japan, please call 119 for immediate assistance. The TELL Lifeline is available for those who need free and anonymous counseling at 03-5774-0992. For those in other countries, visit International Suicide Hotlines for a detailed list of resources and assistance.
