Tragic death of Japanese man
YOSUKE SASAKI WAS SIMPLY WALKING TO WORK IN NATIONAL PEN IN DUNDALK WHEN HE WAS FATALLY STABBED IN THE BACK IN WHAT WAS A RANDOM ATTACK
AFAMILY thou - sands of mile aw a y w a s plunged i n t o grief and Dundalk catapulted into the international news on Wednesday morning when a 24 year old Japanese man was fatally stabbed and two young local men injured as they made their way to work.
National Pen employee Yosuke Sasaki was stabbed in the back as he listened to music though headphones while walking past the Medebawn estate on the Avenue Road just before 9am. Shocked passers by came to his assistance and administered first aid but he was pronounced dead at the scene shortly afterwards when gardai and ambulance arrived.
A short time later, 22 year old Cian Murphy, a DKIT student who works as a sales assistant in National Tile, was also attacked with a knife as he made his way to work at the Coe’s Road. He managed to make his way to his workplace where he was assisted by colleagues who called an ambulance.
The third victim was 23 year old Dylan Grehan from Faughart who was attacked outside Staunton’s Office Supplies, at Quay Street.
He was struck on the head with a fencing pole and made his way to Smyth’s Life Pharmacy, Seatown Place, where he was treated by pharmacist Anne McEnteggart and her staff.
‘He was pumping blood when he came in just after 9.30am,’ said Anne. ‘ We took him into the consultation room and wrapped him in a blanket as he was in total shock.’
‘When he told us he had been attacked I said we had to call the Guards and the Armed Response Unit arrived within minutes and began asking him questions about who had attacked him.’
At a press conference held in Dundalk Garda Station on Wednesday afternoon, Chief Supt Christy Mangan revealed that the Gardai had ‘received excellent support and contact’ from members of the public in the Dundalk area regarding the incident.
He said the gardai were piecing together what had happened that morning and were carrying out interviews and gathering information from CCTV.
Noting that the fatal stabbing had happened in what was ‘quite a busy area at that time of the morning’, he appealed for anyone who was driving through the area to come forward and help the Gardai with their enquiries.
Hundreds from the town and hinterland have demonstrated their grief and solidarity by attending the vigil organised the memory of Yosuke Sasaki in the town centre last night (Monday) and by lining up to sign the book of condolences which opened on Monday morning.
Many also visited the site where he had been stabbed at the Avenue Road on Wednesday morning, leaving flowers and messages.
One floral tribute from Medebawn residents bore the message ‘Our sincere sympathy to Sasaki Family (Japan) for the loss of their son, so young and so far from home’, while another from a Japanese student living in Dundalk said: I am devastated to hear about your tragic passing: I am still in absolute shock’.
A GoFundMe page which was set up to raise funds to help with the repatriation of the 24 year old man raised thousands of euro in a very short space of time.