Japan steps up security for politicians, foreign dignitaries after Trump rally shooting
- Incident has echoes of Shinzo Abe’s killing by a lone gunman two years ago, although analysts say it is too soon to compare the attacks
While Trump and Abe represent the conservative parties in their respective countries and were reported to be close political allies, analysts suggest it is too soon to reach conclusions on the parallels between the two attacks.
“We should not try to compare the two incidents, at least until we find out the motive of the US attacker,” said Ryo Hinata-Yamaguchi, an assistant professor of international relations at the University of Tokyo.
“The man who shot and killed Abe had complex reasons and it was less of a political attack than personal,” he told This Week in Asia. “With the Trump shooting, we just do not know enough yet. His motivation might have been political, it might have been personal, it could have been the result of mental illness.
