The suspected assassin of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will undergo a psychiatric evaluation by the end of this year, Japanese media reported on Saturday (July 23rd). Tetsuya Yamagami, an unemployed 41-year-old man, has been identified by police as the suspect who approached Abe in a campaign speech on a street corner on July 8 and opened fire with a homemade weapon.
A court in Nara, western Japan, where the suspect lived and the shooting took place, granted prosecutors’ request that Yamagami be detained for a psychiatric examination, Nikkei and other media reported. Prosecutor Nara could not be reached for comment outside of business hours.The evaluation will last until Nov. 29, Nikkei said, and will determine whether or not Yamagami will be indicted for the shooting.