A Japanese court has sentenced to death a man who killed four people in a shooting and stabbing attack in 2023, rejecting the defence's argument that he has schizophrenia.
Masanori Aoki, now 34, stabbed two women who were taking a walk in the city of Nakano and then shot two policemen - who arrived at the scene after receiving an emergency call - with a hunting rifle.
Gun violence is rare in Japan, where strict firearms laws are in place. Even rarer is the shooting of multiple police officers. The last such incident took place more than 30 years ago.
The defence had argued that a life sentence was more appropriate for Aoki, who has "diminished capacity" because of schizophrenia.
Prosecutors agreed that Aoki had suffered from delusions but argued that he had committed the murders in a fit of rage, and was able to discern right from wrong at the time.
