Tetsuya Yamagami killed Shinzo Abe, but wanted to attack someone else: Report

Tetsuya Yamagami - the 41-year-old man who will forever be remembered as the man who shot and killed Shinzo Abe - did not initially plan to attack the former Japan prime minister, police sources told Japanese agency Kyodo News.

Yamagami - who made no attempt to run away after shooting Abe twice from close-range with a homemade shotgun - told police he wanted to attack the leader of a religious group that he claimed had defrauded his mother.

The attack on Abe was because Yamagami believed the two-time ex-PM had promoted this group within the country. Yamagami admitted to visiting other locations where Abe spoke. Police sources also told Kyodo News Yamagami denied attacking Abe over his political beliefs.

Shortly after he was taken into custody on Friday, police raided Yamagami's home in Nara and recovered explosive materials and homemade guns. The suspect is a former member of his country's Maritime Self-Defence Force; he served for three years till 2005, Kyodo News said.