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One week after arson attack on Kyoto Animation studio, police finish identifying all 34 victims

Jul 26, 2019 | News On Japan

Jul 26, 2019 (Japan Times) - The Kyoto Prefectural Police have finished identifying all 34 of the people killed in last week’s arson attack on a Kyoto Animation Co. studio through DNA tests and plan to reveal their names soon, investigative sources said Thursday.

The 34 staff members of the company, also known as KyoAni, died after Shinji Aoba, 41, allegedly spread gasoline in the building and set the three-story structure ablaze in Kyoto’s Fushimi Ward at around 10:30 a.m. on July 18.

The victims ranged in age from their 20s to 60s and about half of them were in their 20s and 30s, according to the police. Some were severely burned, police said, adding that they are taking steps to return the remains to the families.

Police are in discussions with Kyoto Animation about when and how to reveal the identities of the deceased, they said.

Police have obtained an arrest warrant on suspicion of murder and other offenses for Aoba, who has been treated for serious burns at an Osaka hospital, including skin graft surgery. His condition remains critical, sources said.

As Thursday marked a week since the deadly attack, anime fans and bereaved families gathered near the studio to pay tribute to the victims.

“I am at a loss for words,” said 52-year-old Hideki Miyoshi from Okayama, who stopped at the Kyoto site to offer flowers on his way to Tokyo. “These talented people created wonderful works, and their lives were lost in an instant.”

Long lines of people, including fans from overseas, formed before a tent set up for laying flowers near the building, whose steel ceiling frames were visible due to damage from the fire.

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