Saitama Stand-in Case] “We have no choice but to lead a life of jitteriness”… “A miserable life after leaving” awaits a former yakuza.

An elderly man’s murderous act enveloped the city in fear in broad daylight.

Shortly after 2 p.m. on October 31, Tsuneo Suzuki, 86, an unemployed man, took female employees in their 20s and 30s hostage at a post office in Warabi City, Saitama Prefecture. The suspect was arrested on suspicion of violating the Hostage Extortion Punishment Law after remaining holed up for approximately eight hours. A large number of media gathered at the site of the siege, and the tense situation was broadcast nationwide via television.

An hour before the stand-in incident, a fire broke out in the suspect’s Toda City apartment. Fifteen minutes after the fire, shots were fired at Toda Central General Hospital, injuring a male doctor in his 40s and a male patient in his 60s in the head. The suspect has admitted his involvement in both the arson and the shooting during police questioning,” said a reporter from the society section of a national newspaper.

What kind of person was this Suzuki suspect who committed a series of vicious crimes in just one day? A neighbor of the suspect’s house revealed the following.

When I was on my way to the supermarket, Mr. Suzuki called out to me, “Are you shopping? I was on my way to the supermarket. At that time, I had the impression that he was a friendly person. Later, I saw Mr. Suzuki again during the summer. He was wiping himself with a towel on the grounds of his apartment. He was naked on his upper body, but I could see tattoos on his arms and back. I got the impression that he was a bit scary.”

A tattoo of the Suzuki suspect was seen by neighborhood residents. According to one gangster, “(Suzuki) used to be a member of a secondary organization of a designated gang, but he left the organization about 30 years ago after being excommunicated. Crime journalist Taihei Ogawa speculates.

In the 1980s, gang wars were very intense. It was a time of welcome, when anyone could join a gang as long as they applied, and each gang member was given a pistol. However, it was about 30 years ago that the frequent gang wars came to a halt, and the clampdown on gangs began to get tighter and tighter.

It was just about the time when the suspect Suzuki left the gang. This time, the suspect stated that he had been carrying a gun for a long time, and I think he kept the one given to him by the gang at that time. Also, most of the gang members do not pay pension insurance, so they do not get a pension. Ex-gangsters who can’t do business for themselves have no choice but to live a life of jittery poverty.”

Suzuki was reportedly having trouble with rent arrears at the apartment he was living in. It is believed that he had been living in desperation since he left the group. However, this does not excuse him from committing a series of vicious crimes. Mr. Ogawa continued.

The suspect was arrested on suspicion of violating the Hostage Extortion Punishment Law, but he has also been charged with multiple offenses, including violating the Firearms Control Law, damaging property, and even inflicting injury. If attempted murder and other charges are attached here, he could be imprisoned for life. In any case, he will probably never get out of prison alive.

The cost of his heinous acts that caused a public uproar is heavy.