Man sentenced to death for arson attack at Japanese anime studio that killed 36

TOKYO (AP) — A Japanese court sentenced a man to death after finding him guilty of murder and other crimes Thursday for carrying out a shocking arson attack on an anime studio in Kyoto, Japan, that killed 36 people.

The Kyoto District Court said it found the defendant, Shinji Aoba, mentally capable to face punishment for the crimes and announced his sentence after a recess.

Aoba stormed into Kyoto Animation’s No. 1 studio on July 18, 2019, and set it on fire in an attack that shocked Japan and drew an outpouring of grief from anime fans worldwide. Prosecutors said he was seeking revenge after thinking the company had stolen novels he submitted for a contest.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.

TOKYO (AP) — A man was convicted of murder and other crimes Thursday for carrying out a shocking arson attack on an anime studio in Kyoto, Japan, that killed 36 people and drew an outpouring of grief from anime fans worldwide.

The Kyoto District Court said it found Shinji Aoba mentally capable to face punishment for the crimes, and the judge was expected to announce the penalty later in the day, according to NHK television and other Japanese media.

Aoba stormed into Kyoto Animation’s No. 1 studio on July 18, 2019, and set it on fire. Many of the victims were believed to have died of carbon monoxide poisoning. More than 30 other people were badly burned or injured.

Prosecutors said Aoba was seeking revenge after thinking the Kyoto Animation had stolen novels he submitted for a company contest.

Aoba, 45, was severely burned and was hospitalized for 10 months before his arrest in May 2020. He appeared in court in a wheelchair.

Aoba’s defense lawyers argued he was mentally unfit to be held criminally