Investigators and others are seen inspecting a Keio Line train stopped at Kokuryo Station in the Tokyo suburban city of Chofu in the early hours of Nov. 1, 2021, following a knife and arson attack. (Mainichi/Yuki Miyatake)

       TOKYO -- Police are set to serve fresh arrest warrants against the suspect in the Oct. 31 knife and arson attack on a Tokyo train that left 17 people injured, it has been learned.

       Kyota Hattori, 25, stands accused of the attempted murder of a male passenger in his 70s. The Metropolitan Police Department investigation headquarters set up at Chofu Police Station plans to hit Hattori with fresh arrest warrants on Nov. 22 on suspicion of the attempted murder of several other passengers who were on a Keio Line train traveling in the Tokyo suburban city of Chofu, as well as for allegedly setting the train on fire.

       According to investigative sources, Hattori is suspected of scattering about 3 liters of lighter fluid he was carrying in plastic bottles on car No. 5 of an inbound express train bound for Shinjuku when the train was running between Fuda and Kokuryo stations at around 7:55 p.m. on Oct. 31. He then allegedly threw a lit oil lighter at the scattered fluid trying to kill several passengers on board at the time, including a woman in her 60s, and burned the floor of the train car.

       The investigation headquarters deemed that regardless of injuries the passengers on car No. 5 were facing mortal danger, and therefore concluded that the charge of attempted murder is applicable.

       Hattori reportedly purchased some 5 liters of lighter fluid before the attack. Police believe that he carried the liquid inside the train in small packages, including one 2-liter plastic bottle and four 550-milliliter bottles. He is quoted as telling police, "I was troubled by work and relationship with friends and wanted to kill people so I could be handed the death penalty," and "I wanted to kill many passengers," among other remarks.

       (Japanese original by Kazuki Mogami, Takuya Suzuki and Maki Kihara, Tokyo City News Department)

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