A man remains holed up in a residence in the central Japanese prefecture of Nagano after killing a woman and two police officers. Police say the suspect is believed to be the son of the city council's chairperson, who owns the house.
The sequence of events unfolded when police received an emergency call reporting a stabbing incident in Nakano City at around 4:26 p.m. on Thursday.
According to a witness, a man estimated to be around 30 years old dressed in camouflage attire chased a woman and stabbed her back and chest with a knife.
When questioned about his motive, the suspect allegedly told the witness that he wanted to kill the victim. Subsequently, he walked away from the scene.
When police arrived, the suspect returned to the site. Armed with a shotgun, he reportedly fired two shots at the driver's side window of a police car. The witness says two police officers were shot inside the car.
Police say the woman and the two officers were later confirmed dead. A fourth person was injured in the incident, but he has not been rescued from the scene.
Police say the suspect holed himself up in a residence in the city. At around 8 p.m., a series of gunshots was heard in the area.
At around 8:30 p.m., a woman escaped from the house and was rescued by police. Police say she identified the suspect as her own son. They say she is the wife of the Nakano City council's chairperson, who is safe.
Authorities are warning nearby residents to stay indoors as the man is reportedly still armed.
Nakano City officials say they established an evacuation center. Within a span of three hours, it has provided shelter to around 60 people.