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Shinzo Abe

Abe shooter decided last fall to kill former PM: police

Yamagami thought to have been motivated by video message for Unification Church-linked group

Shooting suspect Tetsuya Yamagami, left, leaves a Nara police station on the morning of July 10.   © Kyodo

TOKYO -- Tetsuya Yamagami, the man suspected of assassinating Shinzo Abe on Friday, had resolved last autumn to kill the former Japanese prime minister, according to a police investigation.

Police in Nara Prefecture, where Abe was killed, have been looking for evidence that the act was premeditated. The investigation so far shows Yamagami's "strong intent to kill and meticulous preparation," a senior official said.

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