According to police reports Shinzo Abe’s suspected killer has acknowledged targeting the politician. He claimed he had a grudge against a group he believed Abe was affiliated. As per reports the suspect is an unemployed 41-year-old man named Tetsuya Yamagami. He was detained at the scene of the murder. The former Japanese Prime Minister was assassinated while delivering a speech. He was campaigning for the upcoming elections on behalf of the Liberal Democratic Party in the western region of Nara.
Japan has strong gun restrictions that make getting a handgun very difficult. This is why the killer chose to use a “handmade” weapon.
“That’s the suspect’s assertion, and we have determined that (the gun) is clearly handmade in appearance. Although our analysis is currently ongoing,” an officer told reporters. A photo of Yamagami at the site shows him holding a sizable, boxy, black device with what seems to be two barrels.
More about Abe’s killer
Police refused to provide information about the “specific organization” the suspect referenced, citing an ongoing investigation. However, some Japanese media sites identified it as a religious organization. After 5 o’clock, officers started searching the suspect’s residence and seized “several handmade gun-like items.”
The suspect, who spoke to police in a “matter-of-fact” manner, claimed to have been in the Japanese navy’s Maritime Self-Defense Force for three years, starting in 2002, although these specifics are still being looked into. After being apprehended, he allegedly informed police that he “was frustrated with the former prime minister and targeted Abe with the intention of killing him,” according to NHK.
The officers claimed that Yamagami also admitted to them that he had read about Abe’s visit online. They further stated that they were investigating any security vulnerabilities at the campaign event where the incident occurred on Friday morning.
