Suspect May Have Decided To Kill Abe This Month
Investigators probing the killing of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe say the suspect may have decided to carry out his plan this month.
Abe was shot while making a campaign speech on Friday in Nara City, in western Japan. The suspect, 41-year-old Yamagami Tetsuya, was arrested on the spot.
Investigative sources say Yamagami had told them that he did not plan to attack Abe when he visited the same city on June 28th, also on the campaign trail.
Yamagami had told the police that his motive was the grudge against a religious organization. He said he believed Abe was close to this group.
Police have learned that the suspect tested his gun one day before shooting Abe, at a facility of the group in Nara City.
He went to Okayama City, in western Japan, on the same day, where Abe delivered a campaign speech.
But the police say that so far they have found no evidence that he tried to approach Abe before that day.
Sources told NHK the suspect told them that he had long targeted the head of the group, but the leader could not visit Japan because of the pandemic.
Yamagami told he could not wait any longer, and decided to change his target to Abe.