Kyoto Animation Arsonist To Be Indicted

According to the latest report from Kyodo News, the arsonist behind the Kyoto Animation Studio 1 fire will be indicted. He was previously reported to have a medical history involving mental illness. However, he has now been deemed “mentally competent” and that can be held criminally liable for the attack.

To quote:

“Japanese prosecutors will indict a 42-year-old man on murder and other charges over an arson attack in July last year on a Kyoto Animation Co. studio that killed 36 people and injured 33 others, investigative sources said Thursday. (Kyodo News.)

Aoba Shinji was confined for expert examination back in June. His arrest came after authorities judged he recovered sufficiently from life-threatening burns sustained from the incident on July 18. 2019. Following his arrest, Aoba admitted to setting fire to the studio. He said: “I thought I could kill many people by using gasoline.” When Aoba learned that 36 people died either in the attack or due to sustained injuries and that another 33 survivors suffered serious injuries, he responded with (Sou nan desu ka?) “Oh is that so?” The 42 year-old had been unaware of just how many people had perished. “I thought maybe about two people died.” he told the officials. He also admitted that his goal was to kill as many as possible.

The demolition of the building finished in April this year. Meanwhile, KyoAni has been doing their best to return to activity following the incident. The studio is behind many of our favorites, some of which are Violet Evergarden, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Hyouka, K-On!! and so on. They recently released the Violet Evergarden movie. It’s been doing great among fans, and recently became the 2nd movie from the studio to earn over 2 billion yen. They also have the second season of Kobayashi, as well as the Free! and Tsurune films coming up.

Source: Kyodo News
©Kyodo News.