Tetsuya Yamagami, who fatally shot former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe revealed that he had initially planned to attack a leader of a religious group, reported the Japanese news agency Kyodo News. The 41-year-old attacker told police that he believed his mother went bankrupt through donations under the influence of the religious group, sources told the agency.
He also mentioned about his intent to kill Abe as he believed he had promoted the group in Japan, according to the sources. The suspect had visited several locations where the former Prime Minister had delivered campaign speeches ahead of Sunday's House of Councillors election.
Although he denied shooting the former PM because he was opposed to Abe's political beliefs, according to the police. The police conducted a search at the suspects home and found items believed to be explosives and homemade guns.
Yamagami, who was unemployed, had worked at a manufacturing company in the Kansai region in 2020 till May this year, reported the agency. He was previously a member of the Maritime Self-Defense Force for about three years through August 2005.
The attack on Abe, in a country that has some of the strictest gun control laws has shocked the world.
Abe, 67, was shot from behind minutes after he started his speech in Nara while campaigning for the upcoming Upper House elections. He was airlifted to a hospital but was later pronounced dead.