Japanese former PM Shinzo Abe’s shooter gets sentenced for life

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Tokyo: A Japanese court on Wednesday sentenced a man who admitted assassinating former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to life imprisonment.

Tetsuya Yamagami, 45, earlier pleaded guilty to killing Abe in July 2022 during his election campaign speech in the western city of Nara.

Prosecutors had sought a life sentence for Yamagami, calling the murder “unprecedented in our post-war history” and citing the “extremely serious consequences” it had on society, as per Al Jazeera.

Yamagami’s lawyers argued for a maximum punishment of 20 years imprisonment.

There were “undeniable” flaws in the security for former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the head of police in the area where the leader was assassinated has admitted, pledging an investigation, as per Al Jazeera.

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Shinzo Abe, who was a popular leader, was on the campaign trail in the western region of Nara when Yamagami opened fire at close range.

Japan is considered one of the safest countries in the world and has extremely strict gun laws.

Abe, 67, was shot from behind, minutes after he started his speech in Nara. He was airlifted to a hospital for emergency treatment but was not breathing and his heart had stopped.

He was later pronounced dead despite emergency treatment that included massive blood transfusions, hospital officials said.

Police at the scene arrested Tetsuya Yamagami, a former member of Japan’s navy, on suspicion of murder.

Also Read: Former Japan PM Shinzo Abe Dies At 67 After Being Shot

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