NARA, Japan – The gunman charged with killing Japan’s former prime minister Shinzo Abe was found guilty and jailed for life on Jan 21, more than three years after the broad-daylight assassination shocked the world.
The shooting forced a reckoning in a country with little experience of gun violence, and ignited scrutiny of alleged ties between prominent conservative lawmakers and a secretive sect, the Unification Church.
As he handed down the sentence at a court in the city of Nara, judge Shinichi Tanaka said tetsuya Yamagami, 45, had been “determined” to shoot Mr Abe.
The fact he “shot him from behind and did so when (Mr Abe) was least expecting it” points to the “despicable and extremely malicious” nature of his act, he said.
A queue of people waited on the morning of Jan 21 to get tickets to enter the courtroom, highlighting intense public interest in the trial.
Yamagami faced charges including murder and firearms control law violations for
using a handmade gun to kill Japan’s longest-serving leader
during his campaign speech in July 2022.
As the trial opened in October,Yamagami admitted to murder.
He contested some of the other charges, media reports said.
Under Japan’s legal system, a trial continues even if a defendant admits guilt.
Judge Tanaka said Mr Abe’s death had had “serious consequences”, adding that his widow “still suffers from a significant sense of grief”.
Mr Manabu Kawashima, a logistics worker who was waiting outside the court, said he wanted “to know the truth about Yamagami”.
“What happened to former prime minister Abe was the incident of the century. And I liked him while he was alive.His death was shocking,” the 31-year-old told AFP.
“I’m here because I wan
Shinzo Abe Murder/Manslaughter Case
Table of Contents
Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was assassinated on July 8, 2022, while giving a campaign speech in Nara, japan. The perpetrator, Tetsuya Yamagami, was arrested at the scene and charged with murder.
The Assassination of Shinzo Abe
Shinzo Abe, Japan’s longest-serving prime minister, was shot while campaigning for a parliamentary election in Nara Prefecture. Reuters reported that Abe was transported to a hospital and later pronounced dead.
Tetsuya Yamagami and the Motive
Tetsuya Yamagami, the 41-year-old suspect, used a homemade firearm in the attack. NBC News detailed that Yamagami reportedly targeted Abe due to his perceived connection to the Unification Church, a religious group Yamagami blamed for his family’s financial ruin.
Legal Proceedings and Charges
Yamagami was initially held for investigation and subsequently indicted on murder charges. the Japan Times reported in January 2023 that Yamagami underwent a psychiatric evaluation to determine his mental state at the time of the shooting. In December 2023, Yamagami was formally charged with murder. NHK World-Japan confirmed the indictment.
Current Status (as of January 21, 2026)
As of January 21, 2026, the legal proceedings against Tetsuya Yamagami are ongoing. Kyodo News reported in March 2024 that the trial was scheduled to begin in May 2024. There have been no significant updates to the case as of January 21, 2026, according to searches of the Japanese Ministry of Justice website and reports from the Asahi shimbun.
