Shinzo Abe, Japan’s former prime minister, dies after being shot

The Guardian ^ | 8 July 2022 | Staff

[BlackVeil]

The former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe has died, aged 67, after being shot while making a speech in the western city of Nara. ...

[BlackVeil]

Very shocking news, sad for the people of Japan.

[OwenKellogg]

RIP.

[Chad C. Mulligan]

Japan, which doesn’t permit ANYBODY to have ANY KIND of firearms.

[Ikeon]

Very few guns in Japan, Homemade shotgun. Where’d he get the shells?

[Erik Latranyi]

Appears to be a home-made weapon.

[virgil]

Sad to hear this.

[mewzilla]

How did Abe’s security miss the guy with a shotgun?!

[Houserino]

Why ‘gun control’ never can work, anyone with any effort can make tubes and gunpowder. It’s 700 year old easy tech to do.

[Dog]

Hi mew word is they don’t have protection for former PMs
like our former presidents do

[Spktyr]

I suspect that until now, they didn’t see a reason to.

[skr]

If a gun can be homemade, cannot the shells also be homemade? Just curious.

[Spktyr]

It was a very short homemade double barrel, visible in this picture at the bottom. Pretty concealable and interesting that he didn't choose the "slide trombone" type of design to make.

[Houserino]

Pack gunpowder into the back of a tube, optional washing between, then some projective from forms to bb’s. Aim, fire. That’s all it takes close range.

[Spktyr]

Usually the issue is that you typically need manufactured components like a primer. The primer is very difficult and dangerous to manufacture at home. Gunpowder is also not easily made at home, at least not safely. Usually newbies attempting to make their own primers or gunpowder are a self-correcting problem, if you know what I mean.

[Spktyr]

You forgot the primer or ignition system. I am wondering if the guy didn’t use shells but went completely home-made, and if so, did he skip the primer stage and go for electric/electronic ignition.

Japan has ammo and gunpowder control as well.

[Houserino]

Looks like it was a battery to me, which could set off a short fuse.

Wires are hanging out of his weapon.

I’m not going to give it away, but a bat/wire/blackpowder is all it takes.

[Spktyr]

You can use a battery, a coil and a spark plug like device to ignite it, if nothing else. Don’t need a fuse.

The wire could also be wirewinding around critical components for additional strength. Blackpowder would have to be homemade as well as IIRC Japan won’t sell that at retail.

[Houserino]

The thing is covered in duct tape. I wonder if he tested earlier versions to get it right. Probably did.

[mewzilla]

Thanks, Dog! But looking at pics from the scene, I’d swear a few of the males standing around look like security of some kind.