Shinzo Abe, former Japanese leader, is assassinated by gunman
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Former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe, a towering political figure at home and abroad, died after being shot at a campaign event Friday, doctors said, shocking a nation where firearms laws are among the world’s strictest and gun violence is rare.
Abe, 67, was stumping for a fellow politician from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in Nara, near Osaka, on Friday morning when a gunman opened fire with what police described as a homemade gun.
The fatal shooting of former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe at a campaign event Friday has shocked a country that has some of the world’s strictest laws on gun ownership — a nation where political assassinations have been rare in recent decades.
Anyone wanting to own a gun in Japan must apply for a permit, which starts with attending a class on gun safety and passing a written test.
The lengthy process involves background checks on family, work and criminal records, and requires a medical certificate that attests to the applicant’s mental health. Police look into details like potential alcohol problems or whether the individual has a history of domestic or neighborhood disputes. An officer also will visit the applicant’s home to inspect the locker that is legally required for storing a gun and should be affixed to a wall; the rules specify that it must have three outer locks.
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