Just a few hours ago, Twitter users in Japan started reporting that a middle-aged man had randomly fired a gun at the Tokyu Denentoshi line platform at Shibuya Station in central Tokyo.
Gun crime is extremely rare in Japan, however it seems that the Japanese police were well-prepared for the eventuality, with police in full body-armour arriving at the scene quickly.
Given the unusual nature of the crime, the topic soon began to trend online, as netizens wondered exactly what had gone on. Below is a selection of tweets from those at the scene of the incident, which were compiled on the SNS compilation website Naver Matome.
Edit: According to NHK, police have now confirmed that the man was in fact carrying a lighter shaped like a gun, and not a firearm.
From Naver Matome:
[Pictures] Man Who Fires Gun On Rampage In Shibuya Station Is Arrested By Police! Criminal “Was Laughing” Say Sources
According to Twitter, at the Tokyu Denentoshi line in Shibuya station this evening there was an incident where a man fired a gun, and the criminal was secured by police in full-body armour who came running to the scene. Passengers were forced to evacuate, and it appears that entry into the area inside the ticket barriers was temporarily regulated. At the time of the incident, the Denentoshi line was crowded due to an accident. There are still some who question whether the gun was an imitation weapon, and whether or not he fired at random.
The Man Was arrested By Police Who Boarded The Train; Still Unclear As To Whether The Gun Was Real
かわいあやか@ayapyomu19:
Man with handgun getting overpowered by police in Shibuya pic.twitter.com/6kQuOEClon
あきなす。@akinasu2525:
Shibuya station Denentoshi line, absolute chaos www pic.twitter.com/sTNsSZVTSS
きなこ@kinako_5823:
Shibuya station Denentoshi line pic.twitter.com/DEoCBhWvXo
かえで( ´ ▽ ` )@0901Kaechan:
Going home –!! But then an incident at Shibuya ∑(ﾟДﾟ)?? There were loads of police too (´･_･`) Scary scary! The criminal has been arrested! I wonder what happened (/ _ ; ) Scared! pic.twitter.com/xdpsNJXd7p
みさらーめん@misaramen33:
Dento [line] is crazy! Police running everywhere!
truco siete@teruquisquis:
There was a guy in a suit who had a gun near the Hanzomon line in Shibuya station. He fired the gun, but don’t know if it was a real gun or a BB gun. Please be careful.
みもりちゃん@Oh_Minohun:
❁ No joke at Shibuya Hanzomon station. Loads of police about. Not good.
海藻系木の実@cerbera91112:
Tons of police at Shibuya. What’s happened?
えりにゃん@uveeerinyan:
This isn’t just an accident on the line (笑) When we stopped at Shibuya, in the carriage next to mine something happened where loads of police got on.
五道 春仁@G_spring33:
I mean, the Denentoshi line train that has stopped at Shibuya has like police running around it, and a crowd has formed — wonder what happened.
Aloha☆junjun৺̎★@junjun318:
Looks like something’s gone down at Shibuya station, and the train has stopped!! And some old guy has been cuffed at the wrists and ankles by the police and is coming up from the platform…Give me a break 〜(¯―¯٥)
Aloha☆junjun৺̎★@junjun318:
Huh? What was with that old guy who got carried up from the platform at Shibuya by the police…?
翼@ぼっち党員@hkky_31:
Summer shower? The Dento line has completely stopped at Shibuya because of an accident at Futako Tamagawa station, and a strange old guy has been carried out by police — he can’t move at all, it’s chaos ;;;;;;;.
tp吹き@tphuki:
Incident at Shibuya came on my timeline, and I was like scary, but then I searched the news and there were no hits. I was like ?, but I mean, he’d been arrested twenty mins earlier. Information is just too fast.
げしゅたるとみっちー@gestaltmicchi:
[Newsflash] Man On Rampage With Gun In Shibuya Station
nowアポロ@now1017:
Denentoshi line isn’t moving so I couldn’t get home (>.<) Siren was going off in Shibuya station, and loads of police moving into action -- what happened? Some were wearing helmets and there were defence police in full body armour too (+o+)
o²³@ooo023:
Good job everyone with the random shots fired at Shibuya.
アゼリア＠虹裏@Azelia_BB:
So someone fired a gun in Shibuya? Since when did Shibuya become Fukuoka?
ねじ@isanibe:
So what was this random gunfire at Shibuya station…..? Was he just holding a gun? Hmm? Is this Japan? (Hot
乱れ髪@reonidas_t0m0k:
So those police before were there to overpower that shooting rampage guy!
くろず@kurozu79:
Shooting rampage and stuff…Tokyo’s scary.
劔城 藍＠充電中@ai_tsurugi:
Is this shooting rampage for real…?
しん（ぼちぼちモード）@SAKU_87:
@daruma3_ga Thunder and lightning, tornado, floods due to heavy rain, and now a shooting rampage!!!
そらす@sorasu2113:
Shooting rampage at Shibuya…If I’d gone out I’d probably be dead by now…Eek, what I am I gonna do about board game club…(Not sure if i’ll make it in time)
おうえ@0528mo:
What’s going on with this shooting rampage stuff? It’s such an inconvenience! The Denentoshi line is a mess with the accident and the thunder too.
もちこ@pochico888:
What’s with the shooting rampage at Shibuya? (⌇ຶД⌇ຶ)
こんにちは宗像@123darika:
An old guy was carried out from the ticket barrier at Shibuya station with his hands and feet bound, and I thought he must be a pickpocket, but it seems like he’d fired a gun (笑) Scary.
