The Bomb Threat Sent from a PlayStation 3

On July 22nd, at around 3am in the morning, a mysterious message appeared on Japanese bulletin board 2channel. It read: “Tomorrow, I will blow up Hiroshima Station.”

Japanese cyber police set to work, trying to stop the would-be bomber. Good thing he made their job easier—way easier.

The police traced the message to the would-be bomber’s IP address, discovering that the threat was sent from a PlayStation 3—something posted on 2channel later that same night.

The following day, on July 23, the police arrested an unemployed 19-year-old in Hiroshima City for the threats, Nikkan Sports reports. The bomb threat as well as threats against the station master were posted from the 19-year-old’s house.

This is the second time this year a suspect was arrested after apparently using a game machine to post threats online. Earlier this year, 15-year-old threatened to randomly stab people in Shinjuku Station.

https://lastchance.cc/how-the-nintendo-dsi-stopped-a-killer-5759689%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E

There seems to be a belief in Japan, an incorrect belief, that if you post something from either a home game console or a handheld, it is impossible to trace.

Based on discussions I’ve had and comments made by Japanese netizens, there seems to be a belief in Japan, an incorrect belief, that if you post something from either a home game console or a handheld, it is impossible to trace. This is incorrect—something the 15-year-old found out first hand. He told authorities, “I just wanted to see how much chaos it would cause.”

Shortly there after, the boy’s 19-year-old brother also made stabbing threats online. He was arrested near Shinjuku Station, brandishing a knife and saying, “I’m going to kill someone.”

https://lastchance.cc/the-dsi-didnt-stop-this-slasher-the-cops-did-5762942%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E

The suspect in this latest arrest in Hiroshima is less revealing about his motive, saying, “I don’t want to say” when police asked why he made the bomb threat.

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(Top photo: アーク)