A man who went on a stabbing spree that killed seven people in Japan has been executed.
Japanese broadcaster NHK reported that the government had “executed the death sentence” of Tomohiro Kato, who rammed a truck into a busy Tokyo shopping district before stabbing his victims in 2008.
Kato had sent thousands of shoppers fleeing as he rammed the rented truck into a group of pedestrians along a main street in the capital’s Akihabara district.
Image: CCTV captures Kato buying knives at a military supply store in Fukui City, Japan
The crime sent shockwaves through the country known for its peaceful way of life.
Kato was sentenced to death for the crime and his execution was ended by Japan’s Supreme Court in February 2015.
The top court had dismissed Kato’s appeal against a lower court ruling, describing his actions as “leaving no grounds for leniency”.
Image: Flowers, and the traditional offering of food and drink, were left in memory of the victims at the time of the tragedy
The suspect who told police he was “tired of life” said he had gone to Akihabara “to kill people” and didn’t care who.
Image: An early camera phone captures Tomohiro Kato being detained by a police officer
Along with the seven who died, at least 10 people were injured. One of them was a traffic police officer helping pedestrians hit by Kato’s truck.
The Akihabara district of Tokyo was known as a center of the manga comic book and anime film subculture.
Laws on knife ownership were tightened in Japan after the Kato killing.