The suspect in the attack is arrested by security forces at the scene, July 8, 2022. (Photo: AFP/VNA)

Police said Yamagami was responding calmly to questions and said he has a grudge against a "specific organization", possibly a religious organization, which he believes is related to former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo.

However, he denied carrying out the attack because he objected to the political beliefs of the former Prime Minister. According to investigative sources, Yamagami confessed to police that he had originally planned to attack a religious leader.

Police said he used a gun that was obviously homemade — about 40 centimeters long — and they confiscated similar weapons and his personal computer when they raided his nearby one-room apartment.

Tetsuya Yamagami was a Maritime Self-Defense Force officer in his 20s. He lived in an apartment in the city of Nara, but quit his job in May for health reasons.