Recruit fatally shoots 2 SDF instructors, injures 1 at Gifu gun range

Does not sound good. Deliberate killing. Why?

Disgruntled / iji-waru’

Probably was being bullied by the other two. Very common in the JSDF!

18 year old, recent high school graduate. Let's start throwing out some possible reasons here, before the media jumps on it.

Couldn't get into college? Was "forced" into GSDF by parents because he didnt conform to society? Was a JV and bully and saw GSDF as an extension of that, and could get paid for it?

A blackeye for the SDF that is not going to help with the problems they have recruiting people.

I'm certain that the vast vast majority of gun murderers in this country have not gone through the process of getting a hunting license or joined the SDF just so they can kill someone they hold a grudge against.

These types of tragic events happen in all militaries.

Wonder if bullying was involved

A lapse of oversight, perhaps.

I spent a day shooting at Bisley, and the instructor watched my every movement with eagle eyes. They should have jumped on him the moment he moved the gun around.

I wander if he was a victim of harassment/abuse/bullying.

Too bad, Never go to a firing range when there is tensions in the group.

I see a number of posters are theorizing bullying to be the instigator. It's certainly possible, especially in Japan where it's ingrained into hierarchical institutions such as school, business, and the military.

But, it's just as possible that this candidate signed up with the specific intention of doing something like this, knowing that candidates will go through live fire training.

I will be curious to see if his "excuse" is that he just wanted to shoot someone. (A variation on the "I just wanted to stab someone" excuse we usually read about.)

So deliberate or accident? More information would be helpful.

Interested to see if the government will continue to push to relax guidelines for recruits.

In Japan, you'd have to join the military and be granted access to a shooting range before you can have access to a rifle and shoot people.

Can't say the same thing for some "free" country.

Most Japanese Hunters rely on the old classic of trapping. It rare for Japanese hunters to use a firearm. Only those who are licence to protect communities from bears and they rarely hunt these day. In Shizuoka up behind Ito there is deer and pig we use trap when I was living in Ito. My good old mate Toshi (74) still hunt quite regularly.

nandakandamanda: Yes, like you I spent a day at Bisley too in my days in the Royal Anglians, and I once started to turn around with my rifle, heading back after shooting, and even though the safety catch was on and it was pointing down to the ground, the b*llocking from the instructors was extraordinary. I felt as if I had just shot someone. We were supposed to walk backwards!

All these people speculating on reason and yet not a single RIP to the two SDF members… may be worth thinking about your deportment.

RIP

to those talking about bisley. Ahhh memories!

Gonna go with the crowd on this one. Probably some serious bullying going on prior to this. Matey flipped out and now he goes to jail.

justasking

In Japan, you'd have to join the military and be granted access to a shooting range before you can have access to a rifle and shoot people.

Incorrect. You can get a hunting license as a civilian, and purchase a rifle and/or shotgun. The rules are strict. But, many have done it. No need to join the SDF.

So deliberate or accident? More information would be helpful.

"Accidentally" shoot three people?

Come on, man.

Rest in Peace to the innocent victims.

I'm certain that the vast vast majority of gun murderers in this country have not gone through the process of getting a hunting license or joined the SDF just so they can kill someone they hold a grudge against.

You’re probably right. They go to all that trouble just in case they develop a grudge sometime in the future when it’ll come in handy.

At age 18 who knows what else was going wrong in his life, plus hormones, testosterones, adrenaline or all 3 combined.

gogogoToday  02:51 pm JST

So deliberate or accident? More information would be helpful.

It's an indoor range with the victims at the back and all weapons pointed down range. An "accident" is pretty much impossible. Shooter would have alredy received proper handling instructions during the 2 1/2 months prior to being allowed entry to the range.

Plenty of possible reasons froma reaction to bullying to just plain latently psychotic. No point playing guessing games until more info is made available.

But I did learn that JGSDF are now using Howa type 20 and phasing out type 89 since 2020. I had no idea.

Crazy people and guns, at least in Japan this is still something rare

Arrested for alleged attempted murder?

Poor discipline of training, he must be bullied and strike back.

To all the professional social psychologist surmising "bullying" as a possible reason for murdering his instructors, it's obvious none of you have any clue what it takes to train civilians to be professional soldiers.

Instilling the discipline it takes to perform one's job under fire, (oh yeah, that's the purpose of a standing military), requires the breaking down of each individual and building them back as a team member willing to stand shoulder to shoulder with your fellow team members in the face of danger and death.

Unfortunately there are those rare few who make it past the initial mental health exams and either wash out of training or snap. Would it have happened eventually in a non military life style for this individual? We'll never know.

R.I.P. to those he cowardly murdered and their families. May those others he injured, both physically and mentally, recover fully and quickly.

"should never happen" the general said.

But shooting other members on purpose is not the first time in the SDF. As far as taking a live round it's impossible to prevent the disaster by rules only. The ultimate solution is building a good and trustable relationship, which is getting more and more difficult recently.

Good deal of unsupported speculation in previous posts, all we know is one person shot three others, the rest is fantasy.

For those who went to work that day and never went home (or at least not yet) they and their families have my deepest sympathy.

You know this sort of thing can happen ANY TIME, if you don’t you have / had no business being in the military. Nobody talks about it.

As I have said before no matter where you live and their is guns people will use them. Guns don't kill people do. Now just think this was supposed to be a controlled setting.

Following the incident, the GSDF will immediately suspend all shooting and explosion drills across the nation to ensure the safety of its troops, according to Morishita.

One crazy idiot ruins the fun for everyone

Wow, a real life scenario of the movie Full Metal Jacket. I saw on the news as more info came out that the recruit had a grudge against the 52 y.o drill instructor, the 25 y.o was "in the way" for him to get a shot at the the 52 year old. He really want to get him. A lot of hate there.

Sounds like our "private Pyle", the 18 year old generation Z kid didn't like the old school strict discipline of the military.

three-month educational training period

Why does that phrase send chills down my spine?

Would like to see the lesson plans and curriculum for that "educational training."

S

@Spidey

Your Spidey sense is a little too sensitive.

The education is everything from the Geneva conventions, to field hygiene, weapon maintenance, military traditions and values, etc.

The training is mostly PT, standing and marching drills, squad combat drills, rifle handling, etc, and more PT.

A typical day would look like:

0430 Reveille

0500 PT

0730 Chow

0830 Introduction to Geneva Conventions

1000 Drill (marching)

1200 Chow

1230 Introduction to Obstacle Course

1330 Obstacle Course 1st evolution

1600 Chief Instructor Time

1730 Chow

1800 Personal Hygiene

1900 Squad Time

2000 Platoon Leader Time

2100 Bed Check

BULLYING !!! even high school club coaches are bullies in japan, much less in the army. Yes sir, no sir, 3 bags full sir. Bullying is even built into the language.....thats why when speaking japanese you use a different form of the verb etc, to speak to the people you consider above you or older, compared to the people you consider below you or younger.

This is homicides, usually elder officers bullying or assaulting young enlist to make them disciplined, almost every country do this.

military traditions and values, etc.

Now that definitely sends chills down my spine... no disrespect intended but receiving an education on how to best kill humans is just not my cup of tea.

S

@Spidey

These classes are generally military history and moral education on responsibility, teamwork and self-sacrifice. In my opinion there would be less murders if these classes were taught to a larger audience.

A class on ”how to best kill a human” would be “Marksmanship” or “Hand Weapons Combat.”

To add, I’m sure each country loads these classes with its own version of events and propaganda, but the universal themes are generally, doing the right thing, not abandoning your brothers, working as a team, bravery, and self-sacrifice.

@beerDeliveryGuy, if that's a standard military schedule, and recruits can only get at most 7 1/2 hours of sleep per day even with all that activity packed in, I can easily imagine people snapping and going crazy. Not the kind of environment in which you want to put people who are being trained to kill.

The daily schedule for JGSDF Ground Self-Defense Force recruits was posted on the Asahi TV wide show this morning. The recruits sleep from 22:00 until 06:00, allowing for eight hours of rest each night...

The 18-year-old recruit "had always wanted to become a member of the military since childhood", according to persons whom knew him and were interviewed by Asahi TV. While still a student in high school (only a half year ago), he was known as ムドメイカー 'a Mood Maker'...

@ThonThaddeo

I have only worked alongside SDF troops, so I wouldn’t know their boot camp schedule too well, but a day like that would be typical in the early phases of USMC or Army boot camp.

So, no morning PT and they can reveille at 0600. Maybe implementing morning PT would’ve helped.

@3Rensho

In my experience, the ones who vaguely aspire the most without the strong resolve and physical toughness to back it up, they end up becoming disillusioned and disgruntled when they experience the realities of the armed forces.

The ones who excelled most were the ones who joined with the least expectations.

Initial reports were that a Howa type 20 rifle was involved. Now the news has revised it to the common type 89.