Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe Assassinated

[GrantDawg]

I would say this probably should have its own thread. The former PM was shot in the back while giving a campaign speech. Sounds luke the guy had a homemade gun.

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[Edward64]

Don't former Japanese PMs get some sort of secret service protection?

[GrantDawg]

He had protection. How this guy got what looks like an improvised double-barrel shot gun that close to him is a big question.

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[SirFozzie]

Not befitting with the seriousness it deserves, but LOL at Assinated ;)

[Edward64]

Not befitting with the seriousness it deserves, but LOL at Assinated ;)

Or forner :)

[SirFozzie]

Or forner :)


Meh, Forner, I give a pass to. Assinated sounds like the latest Kobe Tai porn release.

[Edward64]

A pic of the homemade weapon. Weird.

Also a pic of Abe's security (can see his holster) confronting the gunman.

Shinzo Abe dead - Japan’s ex-PM is killed in bloody assassination as 'navy veteran' blasts homemade gun during speech | The US Sun (https://www.the-sun.com/news/5729979/shinzo-abe-dead-gunman-homemade/)
His security team were around him, but the gunman was able to draw his weapon and shoot the former statesman at close range "without being checked", local media said.

[GrantDawg]

Of course. That is what I get for posting first thing in the morning. I was being so careful about the name I ignored the rest. Par for thr course on how this day is going. I can't edit on my phone, so everyone have fun mocking me today.

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[Edward64]

Nah, we'll be mocking Fozzie. Kobe Tai? Was that like in the 90's?

Don't want to google it :)

[PilotMan]

I saw that he'd been shot right before I went to bed yesterday, and it didn't sound good for him. Not surprised he didn't make it. As shocking as it is, frankly I am surprised in the current timeline we haven't seen it more frequently.

[Lathum]

Of course. That is what I get for posting first thing in the morning. I was being so careful about the name I ignored the rest. Par for thr course on how this day is going. I can't edit on my phone, so everyone have fun mocking me today.

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I am just wondering why your phone auto corrected to assinate....

[sterlingice]

We watched Forrest Gump this past weekend and noted just how many assassinations there were - not just JFK, RFK, and MLK but attempted ones on Ford and Reagan. And then it just stopped here in the US - there were some clumsy attempts (List of United States presidential assassination attempts and plots - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_presidential_assassination_attempts_and_plots#Bill_Clinton)) but nothing that had a real likelihood of succeeding

SI

[cuervo72]

Oh holy shit!

[NobodyHere]

We watched Forrest Gump this past weekend and noted just how many assassinations there were - not just JFK, RFK, and MLK but attempted ones on Ford and Reagan. And then it just stopped here in the US - there were some clumsy attempts (List of United States presidential assassination attempts and plots - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_presidential_assassination_attempts_and_plots#Bill_Clinton)) but nothing that had a real likelihood of succeeding

SI

What about the attempt on W's life with a pretzel? Or the assination attempt by shoe throwing?

[BYU 14]

I saw that he'd been shot right before I went to bed yesterday, and it didn't sound good for him. Not surprised he didn't make it. As shocking as it is, frankly I am surprised in the current timeline we haven't seen it more frequently.

I had this thought also, seriously surprised we have not seen it here in the last 2 years.

I also wonder, if this happened due to security not really worrying about gun violence in Japan and being more focused on just keeping his immediate space safe, therefore not being as vigilant as they should have been.

[Edward64]

I also wonder, if this happened due to security not really worrying about gun violence in Japan and being more focused on just keeping his immediate space safe, therefore not being as vigilant as they should have been.

This is what I'm thinking happened.

It'll be interesting to read the inevitable analysis on the point(s) of failure.

[JPhillips]

I'm surprised we don't see more of this during primary eason. Especially in Iowa and NH the candidates are mixing with all sorts of people often with no security prior to the event. I remember seeing Hillary in 2015 and being struck by how easy it would have been to bring a gun into the event. I'm sure there was security around, but there was no screening to enter the school gym.

[SirFozzie]

Nah, we'll be mocking Fozzie. Kobe Tai? Was that like in the 90's?

Don't want to google it :)

Well, I couldn't think of a more recent Japanese Porn Star (not being up on the JAV industry ;)

[SirFozzie]

Dola: Apparently the cops found another homemade shotgun when they raided the assassins' house. The 2nd one had NINE barrels with a crude stock and electrical trigger

[cuervo72]

Now that I've gotten over the initial shock..."Forner" and "Japanese" are redundant, no? :devil:

[cartman]

Did he also have a pip-boy? Dude was making Fallout weapons

[RainMaker]

He had protection. How this guy got what looks like an improvised double-barrel shot gun that close to him is a big question.


Politicians are much more approachable in other countries. There isn't the celebrity status or fawning we have here. It's also considerably less violent and they have virtually no gun crime.

It can be argued that security should be tighter but it's also not part of their culture.

[GrantDawg]

I am just wondering why your phone auto corrected to assinate....
The same reason it corrects "for" to "fir", and then randomly doesn't even show I need to correct a word that doesn't exist. All machines hate me.

[GrantDawg]

Politicians are much more approachable in other countries. There isn't the celebrity status or fawning we have here. It's also considerably less violent and they have virtually no gun crime.

It can be argued that security should be tighter but it's also not part of their culture.
Understandable in a way, but I would believe most well trained security would have picked him up as threat pretty early and would have either pulled him away to check him out or at least had someone right on him. He looked to be caring that weapon in a large duffel bag that could have been carrying any type of weapon. My guess is that there wasn't a very large detail with him and they missed it. I would guess that won't be the case in the future.

[RainMaker]

Understandable in a way, but I would believe most well trained security would have picked him up as threat pretty early and would have either pulled him away to check him out or at least had someone right on him. He looked to be caring that weapon in a large duffel bag that could have been carrying any type of weapon. My guess is that there wasn't a very large detail with him and they missed it. I would guess that won't be the case in the future.

Yeah, I'm sure this will change a lot of things over there. As for the gun part, I just don't think it's something they necessarily look for. It is nearly impossible to get a gun in Japan (this guy had to make one it seems).

Has there been any word on a motive yet?

[sterlingice]

I'm assuming the right is all atwitter with snide comments about "see, gun laws don't protect people". Or is now not the time for politics?

SI

[JonInMiddleGA]

I'm assuming the right is all atwitter with snide comments about "see, gun laws don't protect people". Or is now not the time for politics?

I've seen that, I've also seen "more gun laws would have prevented this".

From the looks of the weapon, you'd need stricter limits on duct tape.

[Edward64]

Did he also have a pip-boy? Dude was making Fallout weapons

Had to chuckle at this.

[Drake]

atwitter

I have not seen this word before. Is that literally like "aflutter for the digital age"?

I'm going to assume so, and I'm stealing it from you.

[Izulde]

I have not seen this word before. Is that literally like "aflutter for the digital age"?

I'm going to assume so, and I'm stealing it from you.

No. It dates back to 1833.

[Drake]

Now I wonder if it's a regional variant. We say aflutter in central Indiana.

It's a shame someone had to die for me to learn a new word.

[JonInMiddleGA]

It's an underused word (though now, obviously, it could be the source of confusion)

There's a few variations of the definition, but basically just picture someone being flustered/excited and chattering away a mile a minute in that state and you basically have it

[JonInMiddleGA]

Now I wonder if it's a regional variant. We say aflutter in central Indiana.

Possible, I suppose. Merriam-Webster cites first use of this version as 1830 vs 1833 for atwitter

[Drake]

It's an underused word (though now, obviously, it could be the source of confusion)

There's a few variations of the definition, but basically just picture someone being flustered/excited and chattering away a mile a minute in that state and you basically have it

That's how we used aflutter...which is why I wondered if "atwitter" was a new variant describing the cone of frenzied outrage that is Twitter.

ETA: It's also 100% possible that I just have bad encoding. People from Indiana can't and shouldn't be entrusted with language generally.

[sterlingice]

I thought I was being witty using "atwitter" with a little bit of a double meaning to describe something moving about on Twitter and the traditional use. Clearly, I failed :(

I can be smart and funny, dammit

Narrator: He can not

SI

[RainMaker]

uhhh

<samp class="EmbedCode-container"><code class="EmbedCode-code"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Germany says it is at Japan's side after Abe dies <a href="https://t.co/olcCUkoynH">https://t.co/olcCUkoynH</a> <a href="https://t.co/K0sqlHgGSV">pic.twitter.com/K0sqlHgGSV</a></p>&mdash; Reuters (@Reuters) <a href="https://twitter.com/Reuters/status/1545354589720936448?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 8, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> </code></samp>

[Edward64]

Somewhat refreshing to hear someone take responsibility unlike recent incidents ...

The police chief of the prefecture where Japan's former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was assassinated said he "take[s] responsibility" for the security failure that resulted in his killing.

Nara Prefectural Police Chief Tomoaki Onizuka told a news conference Saturday that Abe's security personnel followed Onizuka's approved plan.

"After the first report of the incident came at 11:30 a.m., and the situation was revealed, it was the height of the guilt and regret I've felt in my 27 years in law enforcement," he said.

[Edward64]