1984 JSDF Yamaguchi training ground shooting incident

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1984 JSDF Yamaguchi training ground shooting incident
1984 JSDF Yamaguchi training ground shooting incident
LocationJGSDF Yamaguchi Garrison, Yamaguchi, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan
Coordinates 34°11′19″N131°29′07″E / 34.18861°N 131.48528°E / 34.18861; 131.48528
Date27 February 1984 (JST, UTC+09:00)
Target Military personnel
Attack type
 Mass shooting
Deaths1
Injured4
Motive Fragging
Accused Ground Self-Defense Force male member

On February 27, 1984, during a training exercise, a Self-Defense Force member opened fire on his fellow soldiers with a service rifle at a shooting range near the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) Yamaguchi Garrison, Yamaguchi Prefecture. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]

Contents

Attacks

Around noon on February 27, 1984, during a live-fire training exercise at the Yamaguchi Training Range, located near the JGSDF Yamaguchi Garrison, a 21-year-old Private Second Class (referred to here as “A”) assigned to the JGSDF 17th Infantry Regiment suddenly turned and opened fire on his fellow trainees using a Type 64 rifle. Of the approximately 60 personnel present, four were wounded, and one of them, an 18-year-old soldier, died the following day from his injuries. [1] [2] [3]

After the shooting, A fled the scene in a jeep, still armed with the rifle. The JGSDF and Yamaguchi Prefectural Police launched a manhunt and apprehended A at around 4:40 p.m. that same day in Yamaguchi City. [6]

Suspect

"A" reportedly stated that he had acted out of long-standing frustration and resentment from being mocked by his peers, saying, “I didn’t care what happened anymore.” However, he was later deemed to be in a state of diminished mental capacity due to severe depression and was not prosecuted. Instead, he was committed to a psychiatric hospital. [7]

"A" had originally joined the JGSDF in June 1983. At the time of enlistment, he was reported to have performed well on intelligence tests, and there were no immediate concerns about his suitability for service. Prior to this, he had dropped out of a private university in Osaka Prefecture and initially enlisted in the 109th Training Battalion in Ōtsu, Shiga Prefecture, in September 1981. He was later stationed in Himeji, but in July 1982, he was absent without leave and spent time traveling around the Kansai region. As a result, he received a six-day suspension and voluntarily resigned from the service.

Following the incident, "A" was dishonorably discharged. The incident also prompted disciplinary actions against 24 senior JGSDF officials, ranging from pay cuts to formal warnings. Haruo Natsume, the Administrative Vice Minister of Defense, received an official reprimand.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 『朝日新聞』1984年2月27日夕刊1頁「自衛官発砲し逃走・山口駐屯地」
  2. 1 2 福島徳 (14 June 2023). "４０年前にも山口の駐屯地で自衛官が銃乱射". 産経ニュース (in Japanese). 株式会社産業経済新聞社 . Retrieved 14 June 2023.
  3. 1 2 tysテレビ山口 (14 June 2023). "自衛官による銃乱射・40年前に山口でも･･･64式小銃乱射 4人を死傷させ山中に逃走". TBS NEWS DIG (in Japanese). TBS・JNN News DIG合同会社 . Retrieved 14 June 2023.
  4. ↑ 牧野愛博 (14 June 2023). "40 年前にも山口の駐屯地で自衛官が銃乱射". 朝日新聞デジタル (in Japanese). 株式会社朝日新聞社 . Retrieved 14 June 2023.
  5. ↑ "自衛隊員の同僚銃撃、３９年前にも…４人撃たれ１人死亡". 読売新聞オンライン (in Japanese). 株式会社読売新聞東京本社. 14 June 2023. Retrieved 14 June 2023.
  6. ↑ 『朝日新聞』1984年2月28日朝刊1頁「乱射の自衛官逮捕・逃走5時間・銃も押収」
  7. ↑ 『朝日新聞』1984年5月14日夕刊13頁「自衛隊乱射事件・重度のうつ病・不起訴処分に」
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