A 22-year-old social media influencer was killed Tuesday after being stabbed dozens of times while livestreaming in Tokyo.
The Tokyo police arrested 42-year-old Kenichi Takano on charges related to the killing of the young influencer, Airi Sato. According to local outlet Kyodo News, the stabbing occurred when Sato was livestreaming on an app called WhoWatch and walking alone about 9:50 a.m. near the JR Takadanobaba Station in Shinjuku Ward.
Local reports indicate that the attacker tracked down Sato by looking at her surroundings on her stream. Jiji Press said that Takano learned the day prior that Sato would be in Tokyo.
According to The New York Times, bystanders heard Sato shouting for help. Around the same time, Sato’s stream “went dark” as sirens rang out, prompting her followers to urgently post “Where did she go?” and “Someone help!”
The New York Times reported that bystanders posted images online of her lying on the ground after the attack. Likewise, local outlets reported that the attacker had also beaten her as she lay on the ground, and appeared to take pictures or video of her.
When the authorities arrived, Sato had stab wounds on her face, neck, chest and abdomen, according to local reports. She was then taken to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Takano was arrested while standing next to Sato. He allegedly had two knives in his possession, a survival knife covered in blood and another in his backpack. He admitted to killing Sato to the police but claimed that he didn’t mean to, The New York Times reported.
The police charged him on suspicion of attempted murder, but Jiji reported that the police intend to up the charge to murder.
According to Kyodo News, Takano had been one of Sato’s followers since 2021 and began giving her money in 2022. Takano told police that he lent Sato the equivalent of $13,500, which she never returned.
Kyodo News also reported that Takano and Sato had previously “consulted” with police outside of Tokyo.
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While Japan is renowned for having low rates of violence, the stabbing of Sato mirrors another instance in which a 33-year-old female influencer was fatally stabbed by a 26-year-old ex, according to The New York Times. The man was sentenced to 17 years behind bars.