A man has been captured after four individuals were killed in a stabbing and shooting attack in central Japan.

The supposed aggressor is said to have wounded a lady, prior to firing a hunting rifle to kill two cops in the city of Nakano, Nagano prefecture. A fourth passing was subsequently affirmed.

The suspect is the son of the city assembly's speaker, local media say.

Gun violence remains extremely rare in Japan, despite the killing of ex-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in July last year.

As indicated by the Japanese news organization Kyodo, police got a call at around 16:25 (07:25 GMT) about a man who had chased and then stabbed a woman.

An observer working in a close-by field let Kyodo know that the man's assault on his most memorable casualty had been done with an edge around 30cm (1ft) long.

His motive is not clear. When the witness asked the suspect why he had stabbed the woman, he is said to have replied: "I killed her because I wanted to."

The suspect - who was reportedly wearing a camouflage uniform, a hat, sunglasses, and a mask - then allegedly shot police officers who responded to the emergency.

It was not immediately clear how the fourth person - described as an elderly woman - had died.

The suspect reportedly barricaded himself for hours inside the home of his father, Masamichi Aoki, before being detained.

Abe was Japan's longest-serving prime minister and his death profoundly shocked a country where handguns are banned and incidents of political violence are almost unheard of.

In 2014, there were just six incidents of gun deaths in Japan, compared with 33,599 in the US.

People have to undergo a strict exam and mental health tests in order to buy a gun. Even then, only shotguns and air rifles are allowed.

He got what he deserved.