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Victim Yosuke Sasaki Facebook
Stabbing
Victim of Dundalk knife attack named as Japanese national Yosuke Sasaki (24)
Gardaí are continuing to question the suspect – an 18-year-old Egyptian man.
Updated at 2.30pm
THE VICTIM OF yesterday morning’s stab attack in Dundalk has been named as Japanese national Yosuke Sasaki (24).
The man had been walking down Avenue Road when he was approached by a man carrying a number of knives.
Gardaí believe the attacker crept up behind Sasaki and stabbed him through the back.
It is understood Sasaki suffered serious internal bleeding as well as organ damage.
Two other men were injured in separate attacks nearby, shortly afterwards.
The young man had arrived in Ireland last year and had been living in the Louth town for over ten months.
Arrest
Gardaí are continuing to question the 18-year-old Egyptian who was arrested shortly after the attack.
Allowing for rest periods and the time taken to acquire a translator, it is expected that the man will have to be charged or released by the end of the day.
The victim’s social media feeds have indicated that he was in a relationship and had arrived in Ireland in the summer of 2016.
Locals in Dundalk have started leaving flowers at the scene where he was killed.
The man’s family has been informed and they are in the process of travelling to Ireland. It is understood that the man’s body will not be released until next week.
Investigation
In an update on the investigation today, gardaí said that they had not yet found any established link to suggest that yesterday’s attack was a terrorist incident.
“At this time, we can find no established link to indicate that this tragedy is terrorist related,” the force said in a statement.
“However, enquiries are continuing internationally as the investigation develops.”
The terrorism threat level has not been changed as a result of the yesterday’s attack.
The level remains at “moderate” – meaning an attack is possible but not likely.
According to today’s statement:
An Garda Síochána is currently liaising closely with our security and law enforcement partners worldwide to share and assess any relevant intelligence and its potential impact on the current investigation.
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