In June 2008, Tomohiro Kato announced online that he was going to unleash an attack in Tokyo's geek mecca, Akihabara. He ended up driving a rented truck into a crowd and going on stabbing rampage. Seven people ended up dead and ten were injured. Kato was sentenced to death.
This July on the night of the 29th, a note appeared on the Osaka city inquiry page, which read (via ANN), "I will commit a massacre in Otaroad next Sunday. I will ram into pedestrian paradise, and after stabbing indiscriminately with a knife, I will commit suicide."
"Otaroad" is in Nipponbashi, Osaka's geek district. It's an area with heavy foot traffic—a pedestrian paradise, if you will.
The threat seemed similar to the 2008 incident in Akihabara. The key difference here is that the authorities were able to thwart the attack.
The police traced the IP address and discovered it was from a high-speed wireless LAN device owned by 42 year-old Masaki Kitamura, who lives in Osaka's Suita City.
"I have zero recollection of doing this," Kitamura is quoted as saying.
Kitamura is an animator who's worked on a whole host of projects, such as Yu-Gi-Oh! (storyboard), Zone of the Enders: Idolo, Tiger & Bunny (episode director), and Mobile Suit Gundam 00 (storyboard, assistant director, and episode director).
Ota Road is an area many gamers frequent. You can see more photos over on DannyChoo.com.
妨害容疑、演出家の男逮捕＝大阪市ＨＰに殺人予告－大阪府警 [Jiji]
「大阪で大量殺人」市ＨＰに予告 業務妨害容疑で男を逮捕 [47News]
アニメ演出家・北村真咲さん（ガンダム00等） [オレのゲーム速報]
Gundam 00 Assistant Director Masaki Kitamura Arrested for Massacre Threat [ANN Thanks, OnoreAnkh!]
(Top photo: Danny Choo | DannyChoo.com)
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