Osaka – Japanese authorities have arrested a 28-year-old man on suspicion of attempted murder after he allegedly drove his car into a group of schoolchildren in a quiet residential neighborhood in Osaka, leaving seven injured.
The incident occurred around 1:30 PM local time, as the children—aged seven and eight—were walking home from school. According to Japan’s national broadcaster NHK, the suspect appeared to deliberately aim his car at the students on a narrow street.
One of the victims, a seven-year-old girl, sustained a broken jaw, while the other six children suffered relatively minor injuries. All were conscious when transported to the hospital.
The suspect, identified as Yuki Yazawa, is an unemployed man from Higashimurayama, Tokyo. Police apprehended him at the scene, where he reportedly remained inside his vehicle after the crash. His motive shocked many: Yazawa allegedly told officers he was “sick of everything” and intended to kill the children.
Teachers from the elementary school rushed to intervene, pulling the suspect from the car. Witnesses described the vehicle moving erratically and even reversing into the children after the initial impact.
One mother who witnessed the attack told NHK, “My son just started elementary school last month. He was crying non-stop. It was terrifying.” She noted the driver appeared to be in a dazed state, unresponsive and silent after the crash.
Another witness recounted that the children were thrown between the car and a wall. “They were bleeding from the head,” said one elementary school student interviewed by MBS News. “It was chaotic and terrifying.”
Authorities are currently examining the suspect’s vehicle—a white SUV believed to be used in the incident—and investigating how and why the suspect traveled from Tokyo to Osaka before carrying out the attack.
