TAKARAZUKA, Hyogo Pref.: Three people were killed and a woman was wounded in an apparent crossbow attack in Takarazuka, Hyogo Prefecture, western Japan, on Thursday.

The four people were assaulted at a house in the city. The prefectural police department arrested Hideaki Nozu, a 23-year-old resident of the house, who calls himself a university student, for allegedly attempting to murder the injured woman, 49, an aunt of the suspect, by shooting an arrow in her neck around 10:15 a.m. (1:15 a.m. GMT). She was sent to hospital.

Nozu has admitted that he shot his aunt with a crossbow at the house, saying that he intended to kill his family members, police sources said.

The three murdered victims were the suspect's grandmother, Yoshimi, 75, his mother, Mayumi, 47, and his brother, Hideyuki, 22.

The police are investigating his motive behind the attack, which occurred at the family home in a residential area some 3 kilometers southeast of Takarazuka Station on the Fukuchiyama Line of West Japan Railway Co., or JR West.

The grandmother and mother were found lying on the first floor of the house, with an arrow each in their heads. The brother was found down in front of the bathroom, with two arrows in his head. He was confirmed dead about seven hours later.

A crossbow, which is believed to have been used in the attack, was discovered at the scene.

Nozu was living with his grandmother and brother in the house. The mother was living nearby.

The police received an emergency call around 10:10 a.m. that a woman had been shot with an arrow-like object that had lodged around her ear. A resident of a nearby house made the call after the injured woman came to seek help.

Nozu was arrested on the street in front of his house some 15 minutes after the attack.

A local resident said that Nozu "was standing speechless" in front of the house.

"An old woman covered with blood was carried on a stretcher, and I saw another woman with an arrow stuck in her neck," the resident continued, noting the entrance door of the house remained open.

A nearby nursery school received emergency contact from the city office around 11 a.m. to notify it of the incident.

Its gate was locked immediately, as some 60 children were taking a nap then, nursery officials said.

"It was really scary. I feel relieved that the suspect was arrested," a male nursery worker said.

JIJI Press