Mother of Shinzo Abe assassination suspect is member of the 'Moonies,' church confirms

• The Unification Church confirmed the Shinzo Abe shooting suspect's mother was a follower.

• The group did not name her but said she became a member in 1998.

The mother of the man suspected of assassinating former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is a member of the Unification Church, the head of its Japanese arm confirmed on Monday.

A 41-year-old man was arrested on Friday after the fatal shooting of Abe during a campaign speech in Nara, western Japan. Abe, who suffered wounds to his neck and chest, died in the hospital several hours later.

Tomihiro Tanaka, the president of the Japan branch of the Unification Church — formally known as the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification — confirmed at a Monday press conference that the suspect's mother was a follower, Reuters reported.

Tanaka did not name her, but said that she joined the church in 1998, Reuters reported. He said she stopped attending events between 2009 and 2017 but reconnected with church members two years ago and has been attending church events regularly since, the report said.

The Unification Church is a religious movement founded in 1954 by South Korean Rev. Sun Myung Moon. The group's followers are often called "Moonies."

Police previously said the shooting suspect told them that he held a grudge against an unnamed religious organization and originally wanted to kill its leader, but decided to kill Abe instead.

The suspect told police his mother went bankrupt after donating to the unnamed religious group over 20 years ago, Reuters reported, citing Japanese media. He also blamed Abe for promoting the group, the newspaper said.

Tanaka declined to comment on the mother's donations, citing an ongoing police investigation, but said that neither Abe nor the shooting suspect were members of the church, Reuters reported.

"As an organization, Family Federation stresses the value of family in building a peaceful society. We condemn this act of violence. Guns have no place in our religious beliefs or practices," the church said in a statement on Monday.

The Unification Church has been described as a cult by former members and is known for arranging mass weddings.

It has also invited high-profile conservative politicians, including former President Donald Trump, to speak at its events. Last year, Abe delivered a speech at an event hosted by an organization affiliated with the Unification Church.

Abe's assassination has shocked Japan, which has one of the world's lowest gun-crime rates due to its stringent gun-control laws.