Officers from Marugame Police Station took the young assailant into custody and reported him to a prefectural children's counseling center in the city. The center was to temporarily place the boy under its protection and question him about his motive and other details.

The boy's sixth-grade homeroom teacher distributed printouts to students at about 3:40 p.m. Monday during a classroom period after lessons had finished, according to the city's board of education. The printouts contained advice for students, such as: "Every third Sunday should be a day without TV or video games."