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Shinzo Abe

Was the Abe shooting avoidable? How security failed at the site

Videos suggest insufficient preparation and lack of protection between two shots

Japan's former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe gives a speech in Nara, Japan, on July 8. The suspect of the shooting, second from right, is visible behind him.   © Kyodo

TOKYO -- A day after the brazen assassination of Japan's former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during a campaign speech on a city street, security at the event -- or the lack thereof -- is now under the spotlight of scrutiny.

Questions have swirled in security circles over how the suspect was able to get so close to Abe as well as why police officers were not able to jump in and protect Abe during the three seconds between the first and the second gunshots.

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