Abe's Death... Former Self-Defense Forces Shooter "Targeted Due to Grievances, Not Political Ideology" (Comprehensive)

The suspect is known to be a 41-year-old former member of the Maritime Self-Defense Force

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyemin] Local media including Kyodo News reported that the suspect who shot former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on the 8th was a former Maritime Self-Defense Force member.

According to local media reports, the suspect who shot former Prime Minister Abe and was arrested at the scene is Tetsuya Yamagami, a 41-year-old man living in Nara City. He is known to be a former Maritime Self-Defense Force member whose term expired in 2005. It is reported that he has no criminal record.

Yamagami shot former Prime Minister Abe, who was campaigning for the House of Councillors election in Nara City, Nara Prefecture, and was arrested at the scene. The police arrested him on suspicion of attempted murder. The police confiscated the gun the suspect was carrying and are investigating him on charges of attempted murder.

According to NHK, the suspect reportedly stated that "he had grievances against former Prime Minister Abe and intended to kill him." However, he also reportedly said, "It is not a grudge related to political beliefs."

However, there are reports that he has been causing confusion in the investigation by changing his statements during police questioning. According to Japan's Mainichi Shimbun, he has been giving inconsistent statements, reversing his initial claim and saying that he targeted an executive of a specific religious group.

Former Prime Minister Abe was transported by ambulance about 15 minutes after the shooting. Initially, he was conscious during the ambulance transfer, but later it was reported that his breathing and heartbeat had stopped. According to NHK, he was taken to Nara Medical University Hospital. A Liberal Democratic Party official stated, "Former Prime Minister Abe died during treatment."