Police say suspect bore a grudge against a ‘specific organisation’ and believed Abe was part of it.
The suspected killer of Japan’s former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe admitted targeting the politician and said he held a grudge against an organisation he believed Abe was connected to, police have said.
Senior police officers in the western region of Nara, where the murder took place, named the suspect on Friday as unemployed 41-year-old Tetsuya Yamagami, who said he had used a handmade gun.
“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.
Police said it was not clear if the “particular organisation” mentioned by the suspect actually existed, adding that investigations were continuing, but several Japanese media outlets described the organisation as a religious group.
Yamagami was pictured at the scene holding a large boxy black object that appeared to have two barrels.
Officers in protective gear began searching the suspect’s home after 5pm and have confiscated “several handmade gun-like items”.
