Photo/Illutration Masanori Aoki leaves the Nagano Chuo Police Station for questioning by prosecutors on May 28. (Shingo Tsuru)

NAKANO, Nagano Prefecture—One of the four victims of the deadly rampage here on May 25 was stabbed or slashed at least 10 times with a knife, according to investigative sources.

Nagano prefectural police said the number of wounds shows the suspect intended to kill the victim.

Two police officers and two local women were killed in the shooting and stabbing spree.

Masanori Aoki, 31, has been arrested on suspicion of murdering one of the police officers.

An examination found 10-odd stab wounds or cuts made by a knife on the body of Yasuko Takeuchi, 70, one of the two women, the sources said.

The other woman, Yukie Murakami, 66, suffered deep knife wounds in her back and chest, they said.

An eyewitness who made an emergency call to police when the women were attacked described the weapon as “a survival knife with a blade around 30 centimeters long,” the sources said.

The two officers who died were shot after they arrived at the scene.

Police said on May 29 that all four victims died of blood loss.

After the attacks, police found Aoki holed up inside his family’s home.

Takeuchi was believed to be lying injured outside the home during the 12-hour standoff. But emergency personnel were unable to transport her to a hospital because Aoki was reportedly carrying a hunting rifle and posed a threat to any rescue operation.

Takeuchi’s death was confirmed after Aoki surrendered to police.

Police suspect Aoki attacked the two women as they were taking their usual afternoon walk together.

According to police, security camera footage near Aoki’s family home showed the two women strolling together around 4:40 p.m. on May 21, 23 and 24.

On May 25, the emergency call was made around 4:30 p.m.

Police suspect Aoki attacked Takeuchi first, then chased Murakami and stabbed her with a knife.

The police officers, Takuo Ikeuchi and Yoshiki Tamai, were shot in their vehicle.

On May 28, a wake was held for Tamai, 46, in Nagano city.

One woman who attended the wake said Tamai was married to her friend, and he “was a kind man who loved his children and cherished his wife.”

She added: “I’m sure he still had many things he wanted to do. It’s truly regrettable he was robbed of his life while trying to save the lives of people in the prefecture. I cannot describe how sad I feel when I think about his family.”

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