After Abe’s assassination: police chief admits security problems

Japan is generally considered a safe country. The violent death of former Prime Minister Abe has now sparked a debate about security measures. The police have already acknowledged problems.

Nara Prefectural Police Chief Tomoaki Onizuka has admitted security problems after the deadly attack on ex-Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Exactly what caused it has yet to be determined. “Overall, there has been a problem and we will review it from all perspectives,” Onizuka said. He feels a great sense of responsibility.

Japanese media reported that security measures may have been inadequate. According to observers, security forces did not pay enough attention to the space behind Abe. Former police investigator Fumikazu Higuchi spoke of too few security guards for a former prime minister.

Protection for politicians under scrutiny

Japan is considered a safe country. Attacks with firearms are very rare because gun ownership is strictly regulated. Politicians often make speeches and other campaign appearances at busy crossroads, in front of train stations or in front of large shops, and they are not screened at great expense.

After the fatal shooting of Abe, security measures for celebrities in Japan are under scrutiny. “I don’t think there are enough firearm precautions in Japan with its strict gun laws,” a personal security expert was quoted as saying by the Nikkei newspaper.

Assassination during campaign speech

During an election campaign speech in the city of Nara, the shooter approached Abe from behind to within a few meters on the open road and then shot the politician twice at close range.

Video footage shows him standing a few yards behind Abe with the gun slung from his shoulder, then approached him and fired. The first shot apparently missed. Abe turned after the sound, a bodyguard tried to protect him with a bulletproof briefcase, but the second shot hit Abe.

The 67-year-old fell to the ground and was flown to the hospital. He suffered cardiac and respiratory arrest and died despite massive blood transfusions. The shooter was arrested at the scene of the crime. The 41-year-old is said to have shot with a self-made gun.

Connection with “religious group”?

There is still no reliable information about the motive of the confessed suspect. He is said to have originally targeted the leader of a religious group. He said that during the police questioning, reports the Japanese news agency Kyodo, citing investigators. He was also quoted as saying he was “dissatisfied” with Abe and wanted to “kill” him. He hates a “certain organization” with which Abe has connections.

In this context, connections of the shooter’s mother are also mentioned, who, according to the man, had donated a lot of money to a religious group. This has shattered family relationships, reports the public television broadcaster NHK.

Shortly after the attack in Nara, the police searched the 41-year-old’s apartment. Several home-made firearms were seized. The unemployed man served in the Navy for three years until 2005. There he had learned how to use handguns.

Body taken to Tokyo

In Nara, the people took great interest in the death of Abe. Flowers and small gifts were placed at the scene of the crime, and many mourners prayed there. The body of the former prime minister has since been transferred to Tokyo. A vehicle with the coffin drove to the politician’s home. Mourners waited at the roadside and bowed.