Investigators learned that the 2 deceased people and the suspect were riding in the same vehicle in a series of shootings in Kobe, leading to the arrest of suspect Kameya Naoto (亀谷直人) (79). Information has also emerged about a possible dispute over the sale and purchase of land on Shodoshima.
Regarding the series of shootings in Chuo Ward and Hyogo Ward, Kobe, the president of a construction company living at one of the private residences at the scene testified that he had been asked by the deceased man and by suspect Kameya (亀谷) to purchase land on Shodoshima. The president said that he refused to make the purchase.
The Hyogo Prefectural Police are carefully investigating the possibility that a dispute over the sale and purchase of land lay behind the incident and are confirming the facts. They are working to identify the motive, including whether the suspect knew the victims.
Around noon on the 30th, the suspect's vehicle broke through the shutter of the garage at his home and entered the premises, after which the shooting occurred. The suspect was arrested by police who arrived at the scene. Interviews with investigative sources revealed that the 2 people who were killed or injured and the suspect had been riding in the same vehicle.
The suspect is said to live in an apartment building approximately 400 meters from Shin-Kobe Station. Police are continuing to investigate how the suspect got into the vehicle and the purpose of the meeting.