Japan knife attacker killed to make 'world happier place'

The man who went on a stabbing spree at a health facility in Tokyo last month said he committed the crime to make everyone happy.

Satoshi Uematsu (L) used a blood stained note to buy chocolate, which the police found half-eaten in the car he had parked in the police station's lot. | AP

TOKYO: The man who went on a stabbing spree at a health facility in Tokyo last month said he committed the crime to make everyone happy, media reported on Tuesday.

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Satoshi Uematsu, who killed 19 people on July 26 in a centre for the mentally disabled, said he believed the world would be a happier place if he carried out the attack as co-workers of the former employee of the facility complained that caring for the disabled was tough, Efe news quoted investigators as saying.

The 26-year-old broke into the care centre and attacked residents with a knife. Later, Uematsu turned himself in to police, saying he attacked the most severely disabled people.

Investigations show that Uematsu stopped to buy sweets before handing himself over to the police.

He used a blood stained note to buy chocolate, which the police found half-eaten in the car he had parked in the police station's lot.

The police were investigating his movements after the stabbing and examining the security camera videos of the store where he stopped.