Photo/Illutration The handmade gun that was likely used in the fatal shooting of Shinzo Abe on July 8 had adhesive tape holding its barrels together, sources said. (Mami Ueda)

NARA—Wooden boards used for target practice and several homemade guns were confiscated from the home and vehicle of the man accused of murdering former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, police said.

Nara prefectural police on July 9 searched the home of Testuya Yamagami, 41, who lives in Nara, and seized a minivan registered under his name from a long-term parking lot nearby.

Several boards, each about 1 meter square, were found in the vehicle, all with multiple holes from gunshots, police said July 10.

“I used them to test a gun,” police quoted the suspect as saying.

That gun may have been the handmade weapon found at the scene of the July 8 shooting.

It was about 40 centimeters long, 20 cm high and had two pipes fixed together like barrels with black tape.

Yamagami has told investigators, “I purchased some of the materials (for the gun) on the internet,” sources said.

Police are investigating when he made the weapon. They said the handmade gun appeared capable of firing multiple bullets with one shot.

Two gunshots were heard at the scene.

An autopsy found that Abe suffered wounds to the neck and left upper arm. An artery under his collarbone was severed, and he died of blood loss from this wound.

Police also said they found multiple gunshot marks on a campaign vehicle parked near the shooting site. A signboard on the roof of the vehicle had several holes through it.

During the search of Yamagami’s home, police seized a piece of lumber fixed with nine long and thin cartridges.

Police also found several items that appear to be handmade guns.

Tomoaki Onizuka, chief of the Nara prefectural police, said at a news conference on July 9 that the homemade gun seized at the crime scene could have injured multiple people in the crowd.

“I think it is important to take steps to prevent illegal gun-making,” he said.

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