Deadly Attack on Schoolgirls Startles Japan

TOKYO (AP) — In a country considered to be among the safest in the world, this week's deadly knife attack near Tokyo on a group of mostly schoolgirls has startled Japanese parents and officials. Authorities say a knife-brandishing man slashed the schoolgirls and their parents as they walked to or waited at a bus stop in Kawasaki on Tuesday. An 11-year-old girl and a 39-year-old man were killed before the attacker fatally slashed himself in the neck. At least 17 people, mostly children at the Caritas elementary school, were injured. Photos: Fatal Japan Knife Attack A father of a student at the Catholic school said Wednesday that he believed the system in place for the children to travel to school was a sound one, but is now unsure what can be done to ensure the kids' safety. The system entails the children walking from a nearby train station to the bus stop to take a privately run bus to school, escorted by their teachers. "The school was taking good care of our children for their safety, including the bus driver," the man, who did not want to be identified, told reporters. "How on earth can adults protect our children?" Experts say Japan's current safety measures that largely rely on elderly people and volunteers in the community rather than security experts are not enough to deal with a crime like one on Tuesday, which they described as a suicide attack. Children going to school in the morning are vulnerable to attacks because they can be easily located...
Source: JEMS: Journal of Emergency Medical Services News - Category: Emergency Medicine Tags: Major Incidents News Terrorism & Active Shooter Mass Casualty Incidents Source Type: news