Yasuhisa Sugiura

Background

Yasuhisa Sugiura was 49 years old. He was an Osaka city employee in Japan’s second city Osaka.

Police said that Sugiura was involved in a “troubled marriage” with a 48-year-old woman.

Several months earlier, Sugiura’s mother-in-law, a former member of the municipal assembly in Habikino, told an acquaintance that her daughter had a troubled marriage, according to police.

The offence

The Habikino shooting occurred at a drinking establishment located just south of Eganoshō Station in Habikino, Osaka Prefecture, Japan on 12 January 2010.

On 12 January 2010, Sugiura went to the Ii-chan bar to discuss a divorce with his mother-in-law, 66-year-old Yoshiko Tanaka, who subsequently became one of his victims. The bar was open for business and had other customers inside.

Sugiura’s wife was possibly one of the customers inside the bar.

Sugiura and Tanaka were at the bar to talk about “he and her daughter getting a divorce.” In the middle of the discussion, Sugiura became excited and left. He returned armed with a rifle and opened fire at approximately 20:00 that evening.

Sugiura shot at three people, killing three people. Two of Sugiura’s targets—the mother-in-law and a 23-year-old bar employee named Tatsuya Fukui—died immediately. A third victim, 49-year-old bar landlord Hiroto Uehara, died shortly thereafter. One account described Uehara as critically wounded and dying later.

Witnesses described the rifle shots as “three or four blunt bangs.” A pool of blood was left in front of the bar.

Sugiura then exited the bar and shot himself outside the bar in the abdomen, killing himself.

Timeline

• 12 January 2010 (around 20:00) — Sugiura returned to the Ii-chan bar armed with a rifle and opened fire, killing three people; he then shot himself outside the bar in the abdomen.

Investigation

Gun crimes were described as rare in Japan, where illegal possession of a firearm carries a prison sentence of up to 10 years.

Arrest

No arrest was reported.

Trial

No trial was reported.

Sentencing

No sentencing was reported.

Appeals

No appeal information was reported.

Outcome

The attack resulted in three fatalities: Yoshiko Tanaka (66), Tatsuya Fukui (23), and Hiroto Uehara (49). The perpetrator, Yasuhisa Sugiura (49), died by suicide after the shootings.

Other details

Sugiura departed the bar during the divorce discussion, became excited, and returned later with a shotgun in one account; other descriptions stated he returned armed with a rifle.