A man suspected of murdering former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has confessed to the crime and told investigators why he wanted to kill the politician.
This is reported by Sky News.
The assassination attempt on Abe took place on the afternoon of July 8. The 67-year-old politician spoke in the city of Nara at a rally in support of a candidate from the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan, of which he was the leader. The attacker shot the ex-prime minister twice in the back with a homemade rifle.
Later, Shinzo Abe died in the hospital where he was airlifted after the assassination attempt.
The suspect was arrested at the scene. It is known that his name is Tetsuya Yamagami, and he is 41 years old. He told investigators that he had worked in the Japan Self-Defense Force for three years.
According to Japan state broadcaster NHK, Tetsuya Yamagami told police he was unhappy with Mr. Abe and planned to kill him. According to Kyodo News, this discontent was not about Shinzo Abeʼs political beliefs.
The police found explosives in the attackerʼs house, so neighbors were advised to evacuate.
- Abe first became prime minister in 2006 but resigned a year later. He took office for the second time in 2012. By the time Abe resigned again on health grounds in September 2020, his tenure had lasted a record 2,822 days.