Police faulted in Japan assassination

Prime minister says security shortfalls allowed gunman to kill ex-leader Abe.

TOKYO — Prime Minister Fumio Kishida of Japan on Thursday blamed inadequate police protection for the death of former leader Shinzo Abe, who was shot last week while giving an outdoor campaign speech.

Abe, one of Japan’s most influential politicians, was assassinated Friday in western Japan, shocking a nation known for its low crime rate. Photos and videos of the shooting show that the gunman was able to approach Abe from behind, while security guards were focused on the front.

“I think there were problems with the security measures,” Kishida said.

Officials at the National Public Safety Commission and National Police Agency are investigating what went wrong and will compile a list of measures in response, Kishida said.

“I urge them to carry out a thorough inspection and fix what needs to be fixed, while also studying examples in other countries,” he said.

Kishida announced plans to hold a state funeral for Abe this year, noting the former leader’s contributions at home and in boosting Japan’s security alliance with the U.S. Abe’s nationalistic views drove the governing party’s conservative policies.

“By holding a state funeral in memory of former Prime Minister Abe, Japan will show its determination not to cave in to violence and to firmly defend democracy,” Kishida said. “Japan will also show to the world its determination to keep up its vigor and open a path toward the future.”

A smaller funeral was held at a temple in Tokyo on Tuesday.

A suspect was arrested immediately after Abe was shot and is being held for up to three weeks for questioning until prosecutors decide whether to press murder charges.

The suspect, 41-year-old Tetsuya Yamagami, reportedly told police that he abandoned a plan to shoot Abe a day earlier at a speech in another city because of a requirement that bags be checked at the entrance.

Police and media reports say Yamagami told investigators that he killed Abe because of rumored links between the former prime minister and a religious group that Yamagami hated. Yamagami was reportedly upset because his mother made large donations to the Unification Church that bankrupted the family.

The assassination has shone a light on links between Abe and Kishida’s Liberal Democratic Party and the Unification Church, which is known for its conservative anti-communist beliefs and its mass weddings.

The church said that Yamagami’s mother was a member but Abe was not.