Abe's murderer says believed ex-Japanese PM belonged to unknown group

"My mother, being involved with this group, had made a significant donation, and our lives were ruined as a result," Sputnik reported Japanese broadcaster NHK quoting Yamagami as saying.

The information about what kind of group it is was not disclosed.

Abe, 67, was attacked on Friday morning in the Japanese city of Nara during his campaign speech.

Yamagami, 41, approached the politician from behind and fired two shots from a distance of about 10 metres (33 feet) from a homemade gun. Police said Abe was conscious immediately after being wounded, but then, during transportation, his condition became critical "with cardiac and pulmonary arrest". Later in the day, Nara Medical University hospital pronounced him dead.