The Assassination Of Japan's Former And Longest Serving Prime Minister

By Demi Conteh

Edited by Eloise So

On July 8, Shinzo Abe, Japan's longest-serving prime minister, was shot and killed while delivering a speech for a political candidate in the city of Nara. Although Mr. Abe, who was 67, resigned in 2020, he continued to be influential in Japanese politics. A suspect has been detained by the police.

Tetsuya Yamagami, a 41-year-old native of Nara, was detained shortly after the incident. According to the authorities, he admitted to wanting to kill Mr. Abe. The police, who did not name the organization, claimed that Mr. Yamagami had "a grievance" against a group that he thought Mr. Abe belonged to, and Yamagami now faces a murder charge.

One of the most well-known people in Japan, Mr. Abe, was shot at close range, in broad daylight, by a shooter who strolled right past security personnel. The attacker wasn't apprehended and restrained until after firing a second shot. Many individuals in Japan and elsewhere have questioned how that is even possible. The police have recognized there were issues with Abe's protection. It is "undeniable that there were flaws in the security" given for Mr. Abe, according to Tomoaki Onizuka, the head of the Nara prefectural police.