Teens arrested for vandalism of Okinawa mass suicide site say they didn't know history

NAHA -- The teens arrested on suspicion of vandalizing a local cave where civilians took their own lives near the end of World War II are now saying they knew little about the site's history, the Kadena Police Station has disclosed.

Four teens aged between 16 and 19 were arrested Sept. 15 on suspicion of damaging property at Chibichiri-gama cave in Yomitan, Okinawa Prefecture. Eighty-three people took their lives there when U.S. troops invaded the island in the war's final months.

The teens are also reflecting on their actions, reportedly saying that they felt deeply apologetic toward those who died there and their families.