Suspect Says Gun Used In Abe Attack Was Designed To Fire 6 Bullets At A Time
Sources say the suspect in the fatal shooting of former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo has told police that the gun used in the attack was designed to discharge six bullets at one time.
Abe was shot on Friday as he was making a campaign speech in the western city of Nara. Police arrested the 41-year-old suspect, Yamagami Tetsuya, an unemployed resident of the city.
Investigators believe a handmade gun was used in the shooting.
Investigative sources had earlier quoted Yamagami as saying that in addition to making a gun with two pipes wrapped together with tape, he also made guns with up to six pipes.
The sources say Yamagami later said he put a capsule containing six bullets into a steel pipe loaded with gunpowder, so that all six were discharged at one time.
The gun used in the shooting is believed to be one with two pipes.
The suspect was also cited as saying he used two pipes because there was possibility of failure.
Police have found a small hole in a board fixed to the top of a campaign vehicle that was parked about 20 meters from where Abe was standing.
The police plan to examine the structure and capacity of the gun seized.