Shinzo Abe assassination: 2.5 seconds between missed first shot and second round of gunfire

In the 2.5 seconds between a missing first shot and the second round of gunfire that killed him, Shinzo Abe could have been rescued by bodyguards if they had sheltered him or moved him out of harm's way, according to eight security experts who watched the video of the former Japanese leader's murder. The inability to shield Abe from the second bullet came after what seemed to be a string of security blunders prior to the killing of Japan's longest-serving prime leader on July 8, according to Japanese and foreign experts.

The murder of Abe in the western city of Nara by a man using a homemade weapon stunned a society where there is little gun violence and candidates for office run unprotected and close to the general public. Security breaches have been admitted by Japanese authorities, including Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, and police say they are looking into them.

The shooter, 41-year-old Tetsuya Yamagami, was allowed by his security detail to approach 67-year-old Abe unchecked and within a few metres of him, while carrying a weapon, the video showed. Police have identified Yamagami as the shooter. The National Police Agency, which is in charge of local police forces, claimed that Abe's murder was the result of the police's failure to uphold their duty and declared that it had formed a team to review security and protection protocols and to think through specific actions to avoid a repeat of such a grave incident.

(with inputs from agencies)