The world was shaken when former Japanese Prime Minister (PM) Shinzo Abe was shot in the streets of Nara city on Friday (8 Jul) and passed away later that day.
At a press conference on Saturday (9 Jul), Nara prefectural police chief Tomoaki Onizuka took personal responsibility for Mr Abe’s assassination.
Source: The Epoch Times
Admitting to security flaws, he said this has been the biggest guilt and regret in his years in law enforcement.
He then promised that the incident would be reviewed thoroughly.
According to The Epoch Times, police chief Mr Onizuka said at a press conference he feels a “grave sense of responsibility” for Mr Abe’s assassination.
He said security lapses allowed the assassin to get close enough to fire the deadly shots.
Mr Onizuka, who is the regional police chief responsible for safety and security, said there were shortcomings in his plan for securing the event.
But it is “undeniable” that there were problems with the guarding and safety measures.
Mr Onizuka added that he felt the “biggest sense of guilt and regret” in all his 27 years in law enforcement.
New York Daily News reported that the police chief choked back emotions as he spoke.
Videos of Mr Abe’s assassination suggested a lack of attention to the open space behind the former PM, New York Post reported.
Mr Onizuka vowed to conduct a thorough review and implement any necessary changes to prevent such future tragedies.
According to New York Daily News, the police chief elaborated that they are still getting to the bottom of the lapses, whether it was about the setup, emergency response, or ability of individuals.
Nonetheless, he acknowledged there was a problem and said authorities would “review it from every perspective”.
On Friday (8 Jul), 67-year-old former PM Mr Abe was delivering a campaign speech outside a Nara railway station when he was fatally shot.
The gunman wielding a homemade firearm was immediately tackled by security personnel and arrested.
Mr Abe was then conveyed to a hospital. Unfortunately, five hours after the attack, he succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead.
The 41-year-old gunman Tetsuya Yamagam’s motive is not fully known. He reportedly believed that Mr Abe was linked to a religious group.
According to The Epoch Times, he was resentful as he believed the group was to be blamed for his mother’s financial troubles.
CNN reported that Mr Abe’s funeral would be held on Monday (11 Jul) and Tuesday (12 Jul).
The broad daylight assassination of Mr Abe in Japan – a nation with one of the lowest gun violence rates – shocked the world.
While he may have been a controversial political figure, the outpouring of condolences for the ex-PM is a testament to his impact on the people of Japan.
Hopefully, investigations will bring closure to his loved ones and ensure such a tragedy will not happen again.
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Featured image adapted from The Epoch Times and @chellaney on Twitter.
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