# Death penalty sought for ex-SDF member

> Public prosecutors demand death penalty for ex-SDF member over 2018 Toyama murders.
- Title: Death penalty sought for ex-SDF member · The Japan Times
- Summary: Public prosecutors demand death penalty for ex-SDF member over 2018 Toyama murders.
- Keywords: toyama, keita shimazu, japanese courts, japanese police, guns, The Japan Times
- Source: The Japan Times — https://japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/11/12/japan/crime-legal/toyama-killings-death-penalty-sought
- Author: No Author
- Published: 2026-11-12T11:50:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: toyama, keita shimazu, japanese courts, japanese police, guns, news, politics, world
## Prosecution demands death penalty
Public prosecutors Thursday demanded the death penalty for a 30-year-old former Self-Defense Forces member over the killings of a police officer and school security guard in Toyama in 2018.
## 2018 Toyama murders
According to an indictment, Keita Shimazu fatally stabbed 46-year-old police officer Kenichi Inaizumi and robbed him of his pistol at a police box in Toyama on June 26, 2018.
## Additional victim
Shimazu is also accused of fatally shooting 68-year-old school security guard Shinichi Nakamura near the main gate of a nearby elementary school.
## Prosecution's stance
The prosecution said his autism spectrum disorder had only a limited impact on his actions and that he had intended to take a police officer’s gun before the incident.
## Defense's stance
The defense argued that Shimazu was strongly affected by his autism and felt that the attacks were his only option.
## Trial timeline
The trial is scheduled to conclude on Monday, with the ruling set to be handed down on Dec. 8, 2026.
## Previous sentence
Shimazu was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2021 for murder and theft, but the ruling was overturned the next year by the Kanazawa branch of the Nagoya High Court.
## Family reaction
Nakamura’s widow demanded the death penalty, saying Shimazu’s crimes are absolutely unforgivable and wants him to apologize sincerely before he dies.
## Key takeaway

Public prosecutors seek death penalty for Keita Shimazu after he fatally stabbed a police officer and school security guard in Toyama in 2018.