Suspect in Tokyo train attack claims to imitating Batman villain Joker

TOKYO: Kyota Hattori, who attacked people on an express train in Tokyo on Halloween night, admitted to imitating Joker, comic book villain and Batman's nemesis, Sputnik quoted a media report on Monday.

On Sunday, Tokyo police arrested a young man who started brandishing a knife in a train and then spilled and burnt combustible fluid. The man was also reported to have sprayed hydrochloric acid in a car. At least 17 people were injured in the incident. One of the victims, an elderly man, is currently unconscious.

According to Kyodo News, the assailant told investigators that he tried to be dressed like the Joker wearing a purple suit in the comics. He also intended to re-create the scene from the 2019 movie Joker. Two hours before committing the crime, Hattori visited the Shibuya ward, where Halloween was especially widely celebrated before the COVID-19 pandemic.

The man reportedly chose an express train for the attack due to a large number of people inside and long intervals between stations, which made it difficult for passengers to escape. Hattori also said that he regretted not killing anyone. According to the media, he wanted to kill people and be given the death penalty.

-- BERNAMA