A 43-year-old man who had been arrested for attempted murder in connection with a double stabbing at a McDonald’s outlet in Fukuoka Prefecture in December was rearrested on a new charge of murder Thursday, according to police.
Authorities rearrested Masanori Hirabaru, who was in custody for the attempted murder of a 15-year-old boy in the fast-food restaurant in the city of Kitakyushu, on a charge of killing Saya Nakashima, also 15.
Hirabaru admitted to “targeting the two teens,” but his specific motives and connection to the victims remain unclear, police said. Investigators also noted inconsistencies in his account of the incident, which further complicate the case.
The attack occurred on the evening of Dec. 14 at the McDonald’s in the city’s Kokuraminami Ward.
Hirabaru allegedly entered the restaurant and stabbed each of the two teens — who were talking and laughing at the back of the cashier line — once with a knife. He then fled the restaurant. The entire incident took place in under 30 seconds.
The lack of defensive wounds on the victims indicates the attack happened so quickly that they had no time to react. The two or three customers standing in line in front of the victims also did not witness the incident or even see Hirabaru due to the brevity of the attack.
Security footage indicates that the boy was stabbed first in the back, followed by Nakashima in the stomach. The pair were reportedly unaware of Hirabaru’s presence until the attack occurred.
Nakashima succumbed to her injuries, while the boy sustained severe wounds.
Security camera footage shows Hirabaru bypassing other customers in line to target the two teenagers at the rear. The male victim reportedly told authorities shortly after the attack, “I have no idea who stabbed me.”
Investigators disclosed that Hirabaru had been circling the area in his car for about an hour before the incident.
Approximately 15 minutes prior to the stabbing, he parked near an adjacent store and positioned his vehicle where he could observe the interior of the McDonald’s.
He remained in the car until moments before the attack.
Authorities have seized dozens of replica swords from Hirabaru's home and recovered multiple bloodstained blades inside his car. Investigators are working to identify the weapon used in the crime.
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