Accused Shinzo Abe Assassin Carried Out ‘Test Shooting’ Before Killing, Motive Could Be Linked to South Korean Church

The accused assassin of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe reportedly carried out a “test shooting” at a building before ending up at the rally where the former prime minister was shot and killed with a homemade gun.

CNN’s Matthew Chance, reporting from Nara, Japan, said he had been to the building, which had tarp up to cover damages. Chance said the door read “Unification Church,” a South Korean church that may be tied to Abe’s assassination, though this has not been confirmed by police.

Police arrested 41-year-old Tetsuya Yamagami after the shooting, and Chance reported that he has confessed and cooperated with authorities, but expressed no regret over the shooting. Police said the killing is tied to an organization Yamagami took issue with, but they would not identify the specific organization, nor would they confirm the site of the “test shooting” was tied to the Unification Church.

“He believed, rightly or wrongly, that the former Japanese prime minister was linked in some way to that religious organization,” Chance reported, adding police would not allow him or his crew to enter the building where the shooter reportedly tried out his homemade weapon before turning it on Abe.

The Unification Church confirmed this week that Yamagami’s mother was a member of the organization, but said an investigation is still open into whether her membership and donations had anything to do with motivating the assassination, the Associated Press reported.

Tomihiro Tanaka, the head of the Japan branch for the Unification Church, said at a news conference that speculation regarding the shooter’s motive being tied to the church are premature.

“Trying to understand how such hatred may have possibly led to the killing is totally perplexing,” Tanaka said.

Abe was shot and killed on Friday as he was campaigning ahead of the country’s parliamentary elections.

Watch above via CNN.

New: The Mediaite One-Sheet Newsletter
Your daily summary and analysis of what the many, many media newsletters are saying and reporting. Subscribe now!