Man dressed as ‘Joker’ stabs several passengers on Tokyo commuter train

Japanese authorities said a man dressed as Batman’s nemesis Joker stabbed several passengers on a Tokyo commuter train before starting a fire, The Associated Press reported.

The Tokyo Fire Department said that 17 passengers were injured during the attack, with three passengers on the train suffering serious wounds. 

Tokyo Police said the attack happened inside the Keio train near the Kokuryo station, according to the AP. 

Witnesses told police that the attacker was seen wearing a bright outfit that resembled Batman comic character “The Joker” or someone attending Halloween festivities. 

News agency NHK reported that after stabbing people, the suspect poured flammable liquid from a bottle and set the train seats on fire, partially burning them. 

Various video footage showed authorities rescuing passengers who had escaped through the train’s windows and another video showed passengers running away from a train car that was set on fire, the AP reported. 

“Train doors were closed and we had no idea what was happening, and we jumped from the windows,” Witness Shunsuke Kimura, who filmed one of the videos, told NHK. “It was horrifying.”

The suspect, identified as a 24-year-old male, was arrested at the scene and is being investigated for suspicion of attempted murder. 

Japan-based TV station Nippon Television reported that the suspect told authorities that he wanted to go and kill people to revive the death penalty, citing a previous train stabbing case as a motive. 

This is the second knife attack to happen on a Tokyo train within two months. 

A 36-year-old man stabbed 10 passengers on a commuter train a day before the closing ceremony for the Tokyo Olympics, telling authorities that his motive was to attack women who looked happy, the AP reported. 

–Updated on Nov. 2 at 8:57 a.m.