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The Japanese police chief announced Thursday that he would resign to take responsibility for the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Itaru Nakamura, the chief of the National Police Agency, said in a statement that the National Police Agency had not been able to save the life of Prime Minister Abe when he was assassinated during an election speech in Nara, western Japan, on July 8. done when announced.
Nakamura did not give an official date for his resignation.
A police report found a hole in Abe’s police protection that allowed the suspect to shoot him in the back.
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The suspect, Tetsuya Yamagami, was arrested at the scene and is currently undergoing a psychiatric evaluation until late November. Yamagami said he targeted Abe because of his ties to the Unification Church, which Abe disliked.
It is suspected that the weapon used in Abe’s shooting was a home-made firearm, as a large amount of smoke was produced after the shot was fired.
Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe assassinated during election speech
The news of the former prime minister’s death shocked the world, partly because Japan is one of the safest countries in the world and is known for its strict gun laws.
Gun violence was extremely rare in Japan for decades after the 1958 law banning guns and swords.
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Japanese civilians are required to join a hunting or shooting club and can obtain firearms after completing a 13-step program that includes a detailed background and evaluation process.
Abe has served as prime minister for eight consecutive years since 2012, making him the longest-serving prime minister in Japan.
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his tenure was amazing Not only has Japan’s election scene historically seen relatively high turnover rates, but complications related to the chronic disease ulcerative colitis meant that only a one-year term was cut from 2006 to 2007. This is because Prime Minister Abe abruptly ended his first term in office.
Abe’s family paid tribute to him at a private Buddhist ceremony on Thursday to mark the 49th day since his assassination.
Caitlin McFall of the Associated Press and Fox News contributed to this report.