Terrible Tragedies Lurk Behind the Assassination of Shinzo Abe
The suspect’s heartbreaking connection with the Unification Church
We have all heard about the tragic assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan. No matter what one’s political leanings, it’s safe to say the world is united in condemning his murder. Japan is truly one of the safest countries on earth, and this shocking crime shook the nation.
The nation has further been shocked to learn that the suspected killer, Tetsuya Yamagami, had no particular feelings of ill-will against Abe’s politics. The quiet Tetsuya was driven to desperation by a long series of terrible events.
Tetsuya Yamagami was born in 1980 into a relatively well-off family in Mie Prefecture. His father owned a construction company, and life was happy for young Tetsuya.
But those happy days were short-lived.
The tragedies begin
In 1984, his father committed suicide, leaving the construction business to his wife, a mother of three small children. She soon moved to Nara to live with her elderly father.
Not long after, her oldest son was diagnosed with cancer, requiring surgery, and near-constant medical attention. He went blind in one eye.
