Kyoto Animation Arson Suspect to be Indicted on Murder, Other Charges
- Avise Kenye
- Dec 12, 2020
- 1 min read
Japanese prosecutors will indict Shinji Aoba, the 42-year old man on murder and other charges over the arson attack on a Kyoto Animation Co. studio last year on July 17, 2019, which killed 36 people and injured 33 others.
The people who lost their lives include, The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya director Yasuhiro Takemoto, animator Yoshiji Kigami, chief animation director on the Free! franchise Futoshi Nishiya, Sound! Euphonium character designer Shouko Ikeda, and many more.
Shinji Aoba was arrested by Kyoto Metropolitan Police on May 27 and is being held at the Osaka Police Detention Center after undergoing treatment for third-degree burns. Police obtained a warrant for his arrest in October 2019 but waited until he could withstand confinement for his full arrest after experimental procedures were done with artificial skin grafts.
According to police, following the arrest, Aoba admitted to setting fire to the studio, saying, "I thought I could kill many people by using gasoline."
However, investigators with the prosecutor's office and medical experts declared the suspect as mentally competent, thus he can be held criminally liable for the attack after examinations began in June.
Kyoto Animation Studio 1, the building that was attacked, was fully demolished in April. Kyoto Animation President Hideaki Hatta told Crunchyroll News in July that there were "no plans currently" for a newly constructed memorial site nor a replacement for Studio 1.
The company often referred to as "KyoAni" at home and abroad, is known internationally for producing many popular animation works such as "K-On!" and "The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya."
Source: Kyodo News
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