After an 11-hour standoff, police in Japan have apprehended a man who allegedly attacked three medical staff who were visiting his home and fatally shot one of them.

Following the event in Fujimono, just north of Tokyo, Hiroshi Watanabe, 66, is facing murder charges.

Junichi Suzuki, a well-known doctor, was shot and held as a hostage, according to authorities. Later, he died in the hospital.

In Japan, where firearms are highly regulated, gun crime of this magnitude is uncommon.

It’s unclear what sparked the violence or how the suspect obtained a gun, which some outlets have described as a hunting weapon. An investigation has been opened by the police.

The medical team had been in-house carers for the suspect’s mother, who had lately died, according to Japanese media.

The group had been making a compassionate visit to the man’s home on Thursday night at his request, The Japan Times reported.

Police were first alerted about 21:00 local time (12:00 GMT) after neighbours reported gunshots and found one man bleeding from chest and stomach wounds outside the house.

The 41-year-old man, a nurse, was taken to hospital where he remains in a critical condition, police said.

Another man, 32, had managed to flee the house to a police station, media reported.

Police advanced on the home that night, the reports said.

Officers spoke with the gunman through the night via phone but he made no requests or demands, local media reported.

On Friday morning, with the siege still underway, authorities evacuated about 110 residents in the neighbourhood and closed nearby schools.

Police stormed the home a short while later where they found Mr Suzuki and arrested the suspect.

Image Credit: Getty

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