<div><span style="font-size: 1rem;">Japanese police have admitted there were flaws in the security for former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was shot dead in the southern city of Nara on Friday.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>"It is undeniable that there were problems in the security," said Nara police chief Tomoaki Onizuka.</div><div><br></div><div>A gunman opened fire on Abe at a political campaign event - a crime that has profoundly shocked Japan.</div><div><br></div><div>Sunday's elections for the upper house are going ahead as planned.</div><div><br></div><div>Voting began at 07:00 local time (22:00GMT), just two days after Abe's assassination.</div><div><br></div><div>Analysts suggest his killing could boost support for the governing Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), for which Abe was a leading and hugely influential figure.</div><div><br></div><div>Elections for Japan's less-powerful upper house of parliament are typically seen as a referendum on the current government. But a big victory for the LDP would strengthen the current prime minister's ability to push though his key policies, including a doubling of defence spending.</div><div><br></div><div>Police say the suspect, named as Tetsuya Yamagami, 41, held a grudge against a "specific organisation".</div><div><br></div><div>Japanese media quote sources close to the investigation, who say Yamagami believed Abe to be linked to a religious group which, Yamagami alleged, had ruined his mother financially.</div><div><br></div><div>The suspect has admitted shooting Abe with a homemade gun, according to police.</div><div><br></div><div>"The urgent matter is for us to conduct a thorough investigation to clarify what happened," police chief Onizuka said, without specifying where he saw failings. He was on the verge of tears, addressing journalists.</div><div><br></div><div>Yamagami told police he had served in Japan's navy, the Maritime Self-Defense Force, for three years. More recently, he had worked at a factory in western Japan.</div><div><br></div><div>Abe was Japan's longest-serving prime minister and died aged 67. He was campaigning for the LDP in the run-up to upper house parliamentary elections on Sunday.</div><div><br></div><div>Current Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, also an LDP member, said he was "simply speechless", vowing that Japan's democracy would "never yield to violence".</div><div><br></div><div>He said the election campaign would continue on Saturday with tightened security, with Sunday's vote still set to go ahead.</div><div><br></div><div>Police are investigating why Abe was targeted and whether his killer acted alone.</div><div><br></div><div>Abe was giving a speech on behalf of a political candidate at a road junction when he was shot from behind. Photos show the suspect standing close to Abe moments beforehand.</div><div><br></div><div>Witnesses described seeing a man carrying a large gun moving within a few metres of Abe and firing twice. The former prime minister fell to the ground as bystanders screamed in shock and disbelief.</div><div><br></div><div>Crude firearm</div><div><br></div><div>Security officers dived on to the gunman, who made no attempt to run.</div><div><br></div><div>The twin-barrelled weapon that killed Abe was crudely made with metal and wood, wrapped in heavy-duty black tape.</div><div><br></div><div>Several other handmade guns and explosives were later found at the suspect's home.</div><div><br></div><div>Abe was wounded in the neck and was bleeding profusely as he was airlifted to hospital.</div><div><br></div><div>He was said to be conscious and responsive in the minutes after the attack, but doctors said no vital signs were detected by the time he was transferred for treatment.</div><div><br></div><div>Medics worked for hours to save him before he was pronounced dead at 17:03 local time (08:03 GMT) on Friday.</div><div><br></div><div>On Japanese social media, the hashtag "We want democracy, not violence" was trending throughout Friday, with many users expressing their horror and disgust over the incident.</div><div><br></div><div>In 2014, there were just six incidents of gun deaths in Japan, compared to 33,599 in the US. People have to undergo a strict exam and mental health tests in order to buy a gun. Even then, only shotguns and air rifles are allowed.</div><div><br></div><div>Abe first held office for a year in 2006 and then again from 2012 to 2020 before stepping down, citing health reasons.</div><div><br></div><div>While he was in office, he pushed more assertive policies on defence and foreign policy and had long sought to amend Japan's pacifist post-war constitution.</div><div><br></div><div>He also pushed for an economic policy that came to be known as "Abenomics", built on monetary easing, fiscal stimulus and structural reforms.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>