Shotgun with nine barrels is seized at assassin’s home
A CHILLING cache of crude makeshift weapons – including a ninebarrel ‘shotgun’ controlled by mobile phone – has been seized at the home of the man who allegedly gunned down Japan’s former prime minister.
Ex-serviceman Tetsuya Yamagami is expected to be charged tomorrow with the murder of Shinzo Abe. The fatal shooting of the 67-year-old has stunned Japan, which had just ten gun crimes last year – and only one of those was fatal.
The discovery of what one witness described as a makeshift arsenal at 41-year-old Yamagami’s home has sparked further alarm, as well as anger at the lack of security around Mr Abe.
Moments after Mr Abe was struck by the second of two shots as he addressed a small crowd in the city of Nara, video footage showed the crudely made murder weapon – a 15in two-barrel shotgun made from pipes and wood – lying on the ground. He later died from what were described as ‘catastrophic’ injuries to his heart and neck.
Japan came to a standstill yesterday as Mr Abe’s body was transferred to his home in Tokyo. He had served as
‘Pistols and explosives were manufactured’
prime minister from 2006 to 2007 and again from 2012 to 2020.
During a raid on Yamagami’s home on Friday, police found several homemade guns and explosives. According to Japan’s NHK TV, the suspect confessed he had ‘manufactured multiple pistols and explosives’. One seized weapon had nine barrels attached to a piece of wood with what appeared to be a mobile phone strapped to it.
Yamagami is currently being held without bail on attempted murder charges, which are expected to be upgraded to murder when he appears in court tomorrow. He faces life in prison if convicted.
He is alleged to have told police he held a grudge against Mr Abe after his mother was declared bankrupt after donating money to a religious group. Unemployed Yamagami reportedly said: ‘Our life became harder after donating money to the organisation. I had wanted to target the top official of the organisation but it was difficult.
‘So I took aim at Abe since I believed that he was tied [to the organisation]. I wanted to kill him.’
Yamagami served in the Maritime Self-Defence Force for three years from 2002, where he learned the skills to assemble a makeshift firearm.
Japanese media reported that the suspect told investigators he had searched online for instructions about how to make firearms and ordered parts and gunpowder.
He allegedly staked out Mr Abe the day before the assassination.