Yakuza shooting shocks Japan

Nov 29, 2019 | News On Japan

Nov 29, 2019 (NHK) - People in Japan are in shock over a violent murder.

A senior member of a yakuza crime syndicate was shot in a busy shopping district. And in a country where guns are strictly controlled, the weapon appears to have been an assault rifle.

The shooting happened around 5pm Wednesday in the western city of Amagasaki. About a dozen shell casings were found at the scene.

This is the automatic rifle thought to have been used. Experts say it's likely a modification of the M16. That's a model that was used by the US military.

People who live near the scene said they were worried. A man said, "I'm terrified. There are lots of people around at five o'clock."

A woman said, " What if I had been there? I could have been hit by a stray bullet."

The suspect was arrested in Kyoto, one hour after the shooting. He was surrounded by police vehicles. Then he threw a handgun and a rifle to the ground. He's believed to be an associate of the Yamaguchi-gumi crime syndicate.

The victim was a senior member of a gang connected with the Kobe Yamaguchi-gumi. They're a crime syndicate that split off from the Yamaguchi-gumi. The two groups have been fighting over the past six months.

The Yamaguchi-gumi number-two, Kiyoshi Takayama, could be a focus of police attention. He was released from prison last month, after serving 6 years for extortion.

Police had been on the alert in case the feud between the two groups escalated. They are trying to find out whether the shooting has anything to do with the feud.

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