Families, loved ones and those affected gathered Tuesday to offer prayers in front of a mental health clinic in Osaka’s Kita Ward, where an arson attack three years ago claimed 26 lives.
The incident occurred at 10:15 a.m. on Dec. 17, 2021, when Morio Tanimoto, a 61-year-old former patient, allegedly set fire to the clinic, killing its director, Kotaro Nishizawa, then 49, along with 25 patients and staff. Tanimoto also died several days after the incident from injuries sustained during the arson attack.
Osaka Prefectural Police referred Tanimoto on suspicion of murder in March 2022. However, as he was dead, Osaka prosecutors dropped the charges.
