The suspect in the assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe indicated personal motivations for the crime, according to sources.
Tetsuya Yamagami, the alleged shooter, spent months preparing the murder because he felt Abe was affiliated with a religious group responsible for his mother’s financial ruin.
Shinzo Abe, the longest-serving Japanese Prime Minister, passed away on Friday, July 8, after being shot at a campaign address in Nara.
Yamagami, 41, is accused of approaching Shinzo Abe as he stood on a platform at a crossroads and firing two shots from a weapon wrapped in black tape and measuring 40 centimeters in length.
Afterward, he was captured on film being tackled by officers. The suspect was certain that Shinzo Abe had supported an obscure religious outfit to whom his mother had sent funds. When questioned by authorities regarding his motivations, he stated:
“I loathed the religious organization in which my mother became involved.”
The Nara police refused to comment on Yamagami’s intentions, though. The media did not name the religious group with which he allegedly had a disagreement.
More information has been revealed about the shooter. He is a man named Yamagami Tetsuya who is 41 years old. Until 2005, he served for three years in the Naval SDF. When questioned, he stated that he decided to kill Abe because he was unsatisfied with him. pic.twitter.com/aXxLsjta63
— Masaki (@MasakiJinzaburo) July 8, 2022
The assassin who murdered Shinzo Abe prepared the attack for months
Yamagami was displeased that his mother had donated funds to a religious organization that he believed Shinzo Abe was promoting. According to reports, Yamagami spent some time planning his assault. This consists of attending occasions where Shinzo Abe spoke.
Yamagami allegedly constructed the 16-inch weapon utilizing internet components at home. According to NHK, a public media outlet, he considered using a bomb before deciding to use a rifle.
He disclosed to investigators that he constructed firearms by taping together steel pipes using components he purchased online. Tetsuya Yamagami, according to a spokesperson of the Japanese Navy, served in the Maritime Self-Defense Force between 2002 and 2005.
The official did not indicate whether this was the same person suspected of attempting to kill Shinzo Abe.
One senior Navy officer commented in response to the production of firearms:
“During their duty, members of the Self-Defense Force train with live ammunition once each year. They also perform upkeep on weaponry.” “However, since they are following instructions, it is unlikely that they will acquire sufficient knowledge to make weaponry.”
Even “long-serving” members of the military do not know how to manufacture guns. According to his neighbors, Yamagami was a loner who didn’t engage with his neighbors. Yamagami did not relish the good life.
He occupied the eighth floor of a modest apartment building. On the lowest level, bars and a defunct karaoke company predominate.
One of his neighbors, a 69-year-old woman who lives one level below him, recalled his behavior, stating that she saw him a few days prior to the murder.
She stated in an interview with Reuters:
“I greeted him, but he did not answer. He was not wearing a mask and was simply staring towards the side of the ground. He seemed tense. I might as well have been invisible. Something seemed to be bothering him.”
According to Yamagami’s neighbors, he was a loner. He maintained his alone and had no contact with people.
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