TOKYO, April 30 — A man wielding a hammer wounded five people in Tokyo, including a teenager who was allegedly struck in the face, local media said Thursday.

Violent crime is rare in Japan, which has a low murder rate and some of the world’s toughest gun laws.

The 44-year-old suspect, who is on the run from police, attacked two teenage boys near his house in Fussa city in the Japanese capital on Wednesday.

One victim sustained a severe facial injury, while the other suffered a minor shoulder injury, according to NHK and Kyodo News.

Police officers rushed to the scene, where the suspect sprayed them with an unknown substance and fled, Kyodo said.

Three officers were injured in the attack.

Tokyo Metropolitan Police declined to comment to AFP on the case. — AFP