Man dies after setting self, son on fire at Tokyo school

USPA News - A Japanese man entered an elementary school playground in the capital Tokyo on Monday and set both himself and his young son on fire in an apparent murder-suicide bid, officials said. The man later died while his son remains in a critical condition.

The incident happened at approximately 10:30 a.m. local time on Monday when the 49-year-old father entered the grounds of Shiomi elementary school in Bunkyo Ward, a residential and educational part of Tokyo. He then went to his 9-year-old son and took him away from a basketball game with other children. The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department said the man proceeded to pour a flammable liquid, believed to be heating oil, on himself and his son. He then held onto the boy as he ignited the liquid, causing serious burns across both their bodies. The man died later on Monday while his son remained in a critical condition. The motive for the apparent murder-suicide attempt was not immediately known, but investigators said the man and his wife had separated in May 2012 and were in the process of finalizing a divorce after a failed mediation attempt. They said the boy had since been living with his mother.