The handmade weapon used to kill former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe can be made easily using readily available commercial components, weapon experts say, raising questions about what else can be done to prevent such shootings.
While little is definitively known about the double-barreled firearm used by the suspect — 41-year-old Tetsuya Yamagami — preliminary expert analysis indicates that it was composed of materials that can be bought at a hardware store, including wood for the frame, plumbing pipes for the barrels, electrical tape, commercial batteries for the ignition and electrical wiring. No externally visible elements of the weapon appear to have been 3D-printed.
Moreover, it seems the weapon, which featured a conventionally shaped pistol grip, could have been assembled in a relatively short time, possibly using instructions acquired online.
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