Two members of the Japanese pop girl group AKB48 were injured when a man jumped on stage during a performance with a 20-inch saw in his hand. The man also injured a male staffer during the incident in Takizawa, Iwate Prefecture on Sunday.
Police did arrest the man on suspicion of attempted murder, reports The Japan Times. It appears that he targeted the two members of the group that were injured - Rina Kawaei, 19, and Anna Iriyama, 18. The reason is still unknown.
According to the New York Daily News, the singers suffered broken bones in their hands and cuts and bruises on their heads. One of them tried to scream “stop it.” Thankfully, security staff acted almost immediately, detaining the man until police showed.
Police did identify the suspect as Satoru Umeta, 24, an unemployed man from Aomori. He is already being questioned as police are still trying to find a motive.
The group has a large following in Japan, China, Taiwan and Indonesia. They contributed a song to soundtrack for Disney’s Wreck-It Ralph.