- Japanese court sentences man to death for deadly arson attack on Kyoto anime studio, leaving 36 dead and numerous injured.
- Attacker deemed mentally capable of facing punishment and motivated by revenge for allegedly stolen novel submissions.
- Arson incident ruled as premeditated; fire is Japan’s deadliest since 2001 and worst case of modern arson in the country.
Additional Coverage:
A Japanese court has sentenced a man to death for carrying out a deadly arson attack on an anime studio in Kyoto, Japan. The attack, which took place in July 2019, killed 36 people and left many others injured. The defendant, Shinji Aoba, was deemed mentally capable of facing punishment for his crimes. Aoba stormed into Kyoto Animation’s No. 1 studio and set it on fire, with many of the victims dying from carbon monoxide poisoning. Aoba was not employed by the studio, and the motive for the attack was reportedly revenge for the company allegedly stealing his novel submissions. Aoba had plotted another attack on a train station prior to the arson incident. The court ruled that the attack was premeditated and that Aoba was mentally capable of carrying it out. Aoba’s defense argued that he was mentally unfit to be held responsible. The fire at the animation studio is the deadliest in Japan since 2001 and the worst case of arson in modern times in the country.