Two shooting incidents in Kobe city, 1 person dead; Hyogo prefectural police arrest former gang member on suspicion of attempted murder

At around 1:15 p.m. on the 30th, a passerby called 119 in Chuo Ward, Kobe City, reporting that a man had been shot. When police arrived, they found a man lying on the ground bleeding, and he was pronounced dead at the hospital. About 10 minutes later, a man was shot in the same city's Hyogo Ward, but his injuries were not thought to be life-threatening.

The statute of limitations for attempted murder should also be abolished. Aichi victim's family is active - ``Would it have been better to die?''

On the same day, Hyogo Prefectural Police arrested Naoto Kametani (79), a former gang member from Kumanai-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe City, on suspicion of attempted murder in connection with the incident in Hyogo Ward. He admitted the charge, saying, ``There's no doubt about it.'' Prefectural police are said to have made statements hinting at his involvement in the Chuo Ward incident, and the prefectural police are proceeding with the investigation.

According to prefectural police, the person who died was Masayuki Akada (58), a company manager in the city's Higashinada Ward.

The suspect was arrested on suspicion of attempting to kill a 54-year-old male passenger by shooting him in the abdomen at around 1:25 p.m. on the 30th while the vehicle was parked in a private parking lot in Hyogo Ward, Kobe City.