One of the staff members stands next to a picture of former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe as they receive bouquets of flowers from people visiting the memorial area set up at the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's headquarters in Tokyo on July 14, 2022. (HIRO KOMAE / AP PHOTO)
TOKYO – The suspected assassin of Japanese former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will undergo psychiatric evaluation until later this year, Japanese media reported on Saturday.
Tetsuya Yamagami, an unemployed 41-year-old, has been identified by police as the suspect who approached Abe at a campaign speech on a street corner on July 8 and opened fire with a handmade gun.
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A court in Nara in western Japan, where the suspect lived and the shooting occurred, granted prosecutors' request that Yamagami be held for psychiatric examination, the Nikkei and other media reported.
Nara prosecutors could not be reached for comment outside business hours.
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The evaluation will last until Nov 29, the Nikkei said, and will determine whether or not Yamagami will be indicted for shooting.