Stabbing at Facility for Disabled People in Japan Leaves at Least 15 Dead

At least 15 people are dead after a man yielding a knife attacked a facility for disabled people in Sagamihara, Japan, about 24 miles southwest of Tokyo, around 2:30 a.m. on Tuesday, according to Japanese outlet the Asahi Shimbun. An estimated 45 more people were wounded, and another four were in a state of cardiac arrest.

According to the Japan Times, the suspect has been identified as 26-year-old Satoshi Uematsu. He reportedly turned himself in to police about 30 minutes later. While the motive was at first unclear, police told the Asahi Shimbun the suspect said he was a former employee at the facility, adding, “I want to get rid of the disabled from this world.”

DEVELOPING: 15 people killed and 45 others injured in stabbing attack near Tokyo, Japan's NHK reports. https://t.co/LL5MLQu28G

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The attack is one of worst single-perpetrator mass murders in the country. CNN’s Paula Hancocks says due to gun regulations, mass stabbings are more common in Japan.

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