Yamagami, 41, reportedly told authorities that his mother went bankrupt after making a “huge donation” to the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, also known as the Unification Church. Nara prefectural police said the suspect blamed the religious group for his mother’s financial problems and intended to kill Abe based on the assumption that the former prime minister was affiliated with the Unification Church. “My mother got wrapped up in a religious group and I resented it,” Yamagami was quoted as saying. More from NextShark: Korean consulate in Canada warns of danger after stabbings and beatings of citizens due to coronavirus Tomihiro Tanaka, president of the Japanese branch of the Unification Church, confirmed on Monday that Yamagami’s mother is one of its members. He also noted that Yamagami and Abe were not members. The suspect’s mother reportedly joined the church in 1998 before it went bankrupt in 2002. She stopped going from 2009 to 2017, but reconnected with other church members about two to three years ago. According to Tanaka, she has been attending church meetings and events about once a month for the past six months Tanaka reportedly declined to comment on the amount donated by the suspect’s mother and denied being forced by the church to donate money. More from NextShark: Why Miss Myanmar 2020 still can’t return home to her country On Monday, Nara police said they discovered bullet holes in a church-run facility. Yamagami reportedly admitted to firing practice rounds a day before Abe was fatally shot in the chest and neck while delivering a speech at a campaign event in the Japanese city of Nara on Friday. Several improvised weapons were seized from Yamagami’s apartment, police said Friday. The gun he allegedly shot Abe with was a double-barreled, improvised weapon that was about 16 inches long and 7 inches wide. The story continues While the Unification Church said it had no direct relationship with the former Japanese leader, Tanaka admitted that Abe expressed his support for its global peace movement. More from NextShark: Japan’s oldest Chinese restaurant closes after 138 years Abe previously spoke at an event organized by an organization affiliated with the Unification Church last September. According to reports, the event was also attended by politicians from other countries, including the US. Abe delivered a speech in which he praised the organization for its “focus and emphasis on family values.” Meanwhile, other church affiliates reportedly continue to attract various Japanese lawmakers to their events. In 1954, the Unification Church was founded in South Korea by Sun Myung Moon, an alleged anti-communist and self-proclaimed messiah. The church established other branches abroad, including its Japanese branch in the late 1950s. The church found “common cause” with right-wing politicians in Japan, such as Abe’s grandfather, Nobusuke Kishi. More from NextShark: Taiwanese father accused of abusing 1-month-old son because he looked like his grandfather About 600,000 people in Japan are members of the church, which has reportedly helped it generate billions of dollars in revenue. Moon helped build a multibillion-dollar corporate empire with ventures including the Washington Times, United Press International and the New Yorker Hotel in Manhattan before his death in 2012. Critics and former members have identified the church as a cult. However, the church has denied previous accusations and claims they are legitimate. An investigation into Yamagami’s background and motives is ongoing. Featured images via TODAY
