Leader of local fisheries cooperative shot dead in SW Japan city

The chairman of a fisheries cooperative association in a southwestern Japan city was shot and died on Friday morning, local press reported.

The shooting incident happened at around 8:00 a.m. local time when the 70-year-old was gunned down by an unknown attacker on a street in a residential zone in Kitakyushu city of Fukuoka prefecture, according to the Mainichi Shimbun daily.

After the arrival of the first police officer at the scene, he was carried to a nearby hospital, but died there from injuries.

Police were quoted as saying the man was shot in the chest and left arm, and local residents saw a car which sped away from the scene.

Further investigation is underway.