Assailant kills woman priest, two others in Tokyo shrine


FE Team | Published: December 08, 2017 11:05:42 | Updated: December 08, 2017 17:50:29


Assailant kills woman priest in Tokyo shrine

Three people, including a female priest, were killed in a stabbing attack at a prominent shrine in Tokyo, including the head priest and the attacker, who apparently took his own life.

Tokyo Metropolitan Police say the 59-year-old priest appears to have been ambushed by her younger brother and a female accomplice on Thursday night.

Police believe Nagako Tomioka (NAH'-gah-koh toh-mee-oh-kah) was killed by her brother, while the accomplice attacked Tomioka's driver.

The driver survived. The brother then appears to have killed his accomplice before taking his own life.

The motive is unclear, reports AP.

Tomioka was chief priest of Tomioka Hachiman shrine.

The nearly 400-year-old shrine is known for its close ties to sumo and holding one of Tokyo's three big Shinto festivals.

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