Abe Shooting Suspect Sent Letter Suggesting Murder to Blogger Criticizing Unification Church

Yomiuri "Pre-crime Indications in Advance"

Tetsuya Yamagami (41), who shot and killed former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during an election campaign, was transferred to the prosecution by the Nara Prefecture Western Police Station on the 10th. He stated that he committed the crime because he believed that former Prime Minister Abe was connected to a certain religious organization he resented.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Nayeon] Tetsuya Yamagami (41), who fatally shot former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during a campaign for the House of Councillors election on the 8th, sent a letter suggesting the assassination of former Prime Minister Abe to a blogger in Japan who was criticizing the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (Unification Church) just before the incident.

According to the Yomiuri Shimbun on the 17th, the letter, which the Nara Prefectural Police investigating the assassination of former Prime Minister Abe have also identified, contained strong resentment toward the Unification Church, of which Yamagami's mother was a member.

In the letter, he wrote, "My connection with the Unification Church goes back 30 years," and regarding former Prime Minister Abe, "I dislike him very much, but he is not the original enemy. He is merely one of the most influential Unification Church sympathizers in the real world."

He also suggested the assassination by stating, "I no longer have the luxury to consider the political implications and consequences that Abe's death will bring," according to Yomiuri.

According to Japanese media, after killing former Prime Minister Abe during the House of Councillors election campaign, Yamagami told local police that he harbored resentment because his family went bankrupt after his mother became a Unification Church member and donated over 100 million yen (about 950 million won). He initially intended to kill the Unification Church leader but, finding it difficult to approach the leader, he assassinated former Prime Minister Abe, whom he believed was connected to the Unification Church.