A man has been charged with murder, attempted murder and arson in a 2019 attack on Japan's Kyoto Animation, which killed 36 people and left 33 injured with severe burns.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, 42-year-old Shinji Aoba was charged with five crimes. The suspect was apprehended following the Kyoto Animation's July 2019 arson attack, though authorities had to wait months before placing him under arrest to let his burn injuries heal. Japan's NHK network reported that Aoba was found to be mentally fit to stand trial due to the amount of planning that went into his deadly attack.
On the day of the attack, a person reported hearing an explosion from Kyoto Animation's 1st Studio building, with the fire starting around 10:30 AM local time. The police later found the suspect with a backpack filled with knives. The individual was caught pouring what is believed to be gasoline around the studio and setting it on fire. Earlier reports state Aoba staked out Kyoto Animation after purchasing 10 gallons of gasoline. He reportedly spent the night in a nearby park, before pushing the container through the studio's main entrance and setting it ablaze.
Kyoto Animation is known for such anime series and original video animations as Full Metal Panic! and Lucky Star. Kyoto Animation's Studio 1 -- located in the Fushimi ward of Kyoto, Japan -- was later demolished in early 2020 following the arson attack.
Hideaki Hatta, President of Kyoto Animation, stated the company "often received notices such as death threats, starting a few years ago." The hashtags #PrayForKyoAni and #PrayForKyotoAnimation began trending on social media following the attack.
An internal investigation by Kyoto Animation revealed that a "Shinji Aoba" submitted a draft during the studio's many fan submission contests, though it is unclear if this is what provoked the suspect's attack.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
