[1] Judge Yujiro Nakatani said that his Aum-related crimes began in 1989 with the strangulation killing of Shuji Taguchi, who had attempted to flee from the cult.
Asahara directed his men to rig a spraying device on a suitable vehicle at one of the nights when Ikeda was supposed to speak in public.
All was going well until the device began to leak, splashing liquid sarin onto Niimi, Asahara's security chief.
Kiyohide Hayakawa was present and quickly administered an antidote in time to prevent Niimi's nervous system from shutting down.
[citation needed] Niimi was among the first seven of the Aum Shinrikyo members on death row to be executed on 6 July 2018, including leader Shoko Asahara.