News of former Prime Minister ShinzÅ Abe assassination will have a lasting effect on Japan. As a backbench MP, Abe was giving an election speech in the ancient capital of Nara when a lone gunman shot the former leader in the neck, leading to his death within a few hours.
It remains unclear why the suspected assassin, Tetsuya Yamagami, carried out the attack. The 41-year-old told investigators that he intended to kill Abe, with whom he “had grievances,” and appears to have cobbled together a makeshift firearm to carry out the murder. He had served in Japan’s Maritime Defence Force for three years in his 20s and had quit his most recent job in manufacturing several weeks before.
