Was Shinzo Abe assassinated with a ghost gun?
The former Prime Minister of Japan has been assasinated with a gun that the killer reportedly built at home. What does it mean that the gun was “homemade”?
Shocks are reverberating within Japanese society after a rouge gunman assassinated former-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe while he was campaigning for a candidate within his party.
In response to the tragic event, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida described the attack as “barbaric and malicious” and that this type of violence “cannot be tolerated.”
Although Abe was surrounded by security, who later apprehended the subject, they were unable to stop him. Witnesses said that they saw the assailant shoot at the former Prime Minister twice. After the incident, Abe was taken to the nearest hospital where attempts were made to save the leader’s life, but he did not survive.
In the United States the rise of ghost guns, which are weapons, without a serial number, that can be purchased online and assembled by the buyer. The weapon used in the Abe’s assassination has been described as “homemade,” but exactly how the gun was constructed is unknown.
“It’s certainly no standard shotgun.”
An expert who spoke with The Daily Beast said that after analyzing the images of the weapon it seemed to be a “box-like device [...] wrapped in black tape,” with smoke that “can be seen coming from the muzzle.”
The ammunition mechanisms used in the “homemade gun” is unknown. However, officials have not yet explained whether the pieces for the gun were ordered or whether the shooter built the gun himself at home.
Later, reports have shown that the shooter also had explosives in his home, sparking fears that he may have had a bigger and more violent plan.
Gun control in Japan
The shooting has rocked Japan, a country where acquiring weapons is extremely difficult. Just three days ago, Yahoo! News published an article titled “Japan has almost completely eliminated gun deaths.”
Each year the country sees less than ten gun deaths, which has contributed to the shock of the assassination. Largely, the low fatalities from firearms relate to the pacification process that took place after World War II, which led to the implementation of strict gun control laws. For instance, in Tokyo, a city of more than twelve million residents, there are only three stores where firearms can be purchased.
In response to the shooting, the White House has released a statement which extends the condolences of the president to Abe’s family and those that are mourning.
“While there are many details that we do not yet know, we know that violent attacks are never acceptable and that gun violence always leaves a deep scar on the communities that are affected by it.”
For conservatives in the US who see this news and will try to use it as an example that gun control does not work is making a truly nonsensical argument. The last major shooting in Japan took place in 2019. So far, just this month, the Gun Violence Achieve has tracked twenty-five mass shootings that have led to 135 injuries and 17 deaths. In 2020 there were 318 homicides in Japan, while in the United states there were more than 21,000 of which more than 19,000 were caused by a firearm.