Japan police arrest man over arson attack on KyoAni studio that killed 36 people

Shinji Aoba, who was himself hospitalised for severe burns, is charged with murder and other offences

Police arrested him after determining he has recovered sufficiently from his life-threatening injuries

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The suspect attacked Kyoto Animation studio in July 2019. File photo: Kyodo News via AP

Published: 10:04am, 27 May 2020Updated: 11:09pm, 27 May 2020

The hospitalised suspect in a deadly arson attack last July on an animation studio was arrested on Wednesday on suspicion of murder and other offences after being judged to have recovered sufficiently from life-threatening burns, police in Japan said.

The arrest of Shinji Aoba came 10 months after he allegedly set the Kyoto Animation studio on fire, killing 36 people and injuring 33 others.

The police had earlier planned to arrest Aoba, 42, who is still largely bedridden, around January, but arrangements were affected by the spread of the new coronavirus and his unstable health condition, according to investigative sources.

Shinji Aoba is carried to a police station after being arrested in Kyoto on May 27, 2020. Photo: Kyodo via Reuters

Following his arrest at the hospital, Aoba was transferred to a Kyoto police station where he will be questioned.

The Kyoto police on Wednesday said that he had admitted to attacking the studio, known internationally for producing a number of popular animation works.