The police doubt that the 41-year-old man was mentally healthy.
Two fatal shots ended the life of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Doctors tried to save the politician for six hours, but their efforts were in vain. The killer is 41-year-old Tetsuya Yamagami, who was also at the rally in the city of Nara. The criminal was detained at the scene of the murder, but he gives contradictory testimony. Either he refers to hatred of the ex-prime minister, or he speaks of intentions to eliminate the leader of a religious group.
Abe’s murder
Shinzo Abe arrived in a small town on the eve of the parliamentary elections. On the morning of July 8, he spoke to hundreds of gathered residents near a busy intersection. At the same time, there were almost no guards nearby – only a couple of security guards and no cordon.
This circumstance was taken advantage of by a criminal who got up from an arrow and fired twice. The bloodied Abe fell, the attacker was detained at the scene of the attack.
The former prime minister was sent by helicopter to the hospital, but during the transportation his heart stopped. Doctors did everything possible for Abe to survive, but the injuries turned out to be fatal.
The killer’s motives
Law enforcement officers interrogated Yamagami. According to media reports, the man made it clear that he was dissatisfied with the actions of the ex-prime minister and planned to kill him. What exactly did not suit the 41-year-old Japanese remains unknown.
However, Mainichi Shimbun sources claim that Yamagami mentioned another goal. The article claims that the killer named a certain religious group and said that he “wanted to attack the leader of the group,” but he was not at the election rally.”
At the same time, the criminal made some other “meaningless statements,” and now the police doubt his mental health.
Who is Tetsuya Yamagami
Yamagami, 41, is a resident of Nara Prefecture who served as a sailor in the Japan Self-Defense Forces for three years. The man was listed in the ranks of the local armed forces from 2003 to 2005.
Japanese media suggested that the murder weapon was not used by self-defense forces. According to some reports, Yamagami could have taken home-made weapons with him.
There was also information that the police came to the sailor’s house and found explosives there, after which law enforcement officers called the sappers.
