Japanese ‘Joker’ Injures 17 in Halloween Train Knife Attack

A 24-year-old Japanese man dressed as the Batman villain Joker left 17 injured on Tokyo’s railway, turning Halloween into a genuine fright for those heading to the city for a fun night. Police arrested the man on the scene after stabbing several and spreading flammable fluid around the train car to set it ablaze.

According to Reuters, one man around his 60s was left unconscious and in critical condition from the attack, while others managed to flee the train. Videos on social media show the train filling with smoke as people ran away from the danger, while another featured people trying to climb out of the small windows on the train to get to safety.

A man dressed in Batman’s Joker costume was arrested after he attacked and injured 17 passengers on a Tokyo train line as many partygoers headed into the city center for Halloween celebrations https://t.co/CR9J5sM6eY pic.twitter.com/Xv3hWxcntp

— Reuters (@Reuters) October 31, 2021

The most chilling clip that made the rounds gave a clear image of the alleged attacker, sitting calmly on the train clad in a purple suit, bright green shirt and holding a cigarette. Comparisons quickly went to the Batman arch-nemesis, but nothing has been confirmed at this point.

“I thought it was a Halloween stunt,” a witness said, according to Reuters. “Then, I saw a man walking this way, slowly waving a long knife.” The witness added that he saw many running in panic away from the man, while blood was visible on the blade. Local media added that the suspected attacker’s motivation was self-destructive. Upon capture, he reportedly told authorities he wanted to “kill people so he could be sentenced to death.”

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The incident is only the latest stabbing incident in Japan, with the second this year so far. In August, another stabbing in Tokyo left nine people injured. The suspect failed to start a fire on their train compartment. Both incidents are part of a string dating back to 2008’s Akihabara massacre that left seven dead and ten injured. The deadly Sagamihara stabbings in 2016 killed 19 and wounded 26 at a care home for the disabled.

Many also likely had thoughts of the 1995 Tokyo subway sarin attacks committed by the Aum Shinrikyo cult. Five group members boarded the Tokyo Metro during rush hour on the morning of March 20, 1995. The attack injured thousands and killed 13, leaving deep scars on the relatively peaceful nation.

While the Halloween stabbing does seem eerily similar to the attack from August, there has been no connection made at this point.