TOKYO -- A man who turned his gun on himself after fatally shooting a hostage and injuring a police officer in a six-hour siege Wednesday at a Tokyo developer's home was in critical condition, police said.
Mitsuru Hatakeyama, 40, armed with a pistol, broke into the home of Katsuhiro Kawaguchi, a wealthy real estate developer, took hostage a housemaid who was alone in the house and demanded a meeting with Kawaguchi, police said.
Kawaguchi, 54, is president of Hachidai Sangyo, which made news recently for its expensive land deals, including the purchase of Coconut Isle in Hawaii for $8.3 million.
Police said Hatakeyama shot the housemaid and policeman, then fired a bullet into his own mouth after he saw a second officer hiding as he tried to flee in a car provided by police.
The hostage, Kiyoko Shiratori, 56, was shot in the head and later died in a hospital. The policeman, Kenji Onodera, 46, who was to drive the car, suffered wounds in the face and was in serious condition, police said.
