Gun deaths are a rare occurrence in Japan. The country, which has some of the strictest gun laws in the world, has almost eliminated gun deaths as a result.
When former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot on Friday morning and later died at a hospital as a result of his wounds, the country and the world were shocked, not only at the death of such a prominent figure but at the way in which it happened.
FORMER JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER SHINZO ABE SHOT DEAD AT CAMPAIGN EVENT
“I am incredibly shocked,” Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike told a regular news conference before Abe’s death was announced, according to Reuters. “No matter the reason, such a heinous act is absolutely unforgivable. It is an affront against democracy.”
Japan has tight laws that prevent private citizens from owning handguns, though licensed hunters are allowed to own rifles, according to the outlet. All gun owners are required to take classes, pass a written test, and pass a background check as well as a mental health evaluation.
Outlawing handguns hasn’t eliminated gun deaths in the country, but it has pushed most shootings to the fringes of society and to people who are already engaging in illegal activity. Of the 10 shootings that happened in Japan in 2021, eight of them involved “yakuza” gangsters. In those shootings, one person was killed, and four were wounded.
In contrast, the United States has had more than 300 “mass shootings” this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive. Not all of those shootings have resulted in deaths, but in light of Abe’s killing, the different approaches to gun laws are stark.
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The man police arrested on suspicions of shooting Abe appears to have used a homemade shotgun. The suspect is a former member of the Japanese military.
Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi, Abe’s brother, declined to comment on reports about the suspect using a homemade weapon.
