The police chief of Japan’s Nara prefecture said he “takes responsibility” for the assassination of Shinzo Abe

The police chief of Japan’s Nara prefecture said he “takes responsibility” for the assassination of Shinzo Abe, the former prime minister of Japan, who was killed on Friday during a speech.

Chief Tomoaki Onizuka said on Saturday at a press conference that Abe’s security team followed the lead of the plan he outlined. “We can’t deny that there were problems with the security plan given how things ended,” Onizuka told a news conference.

“After the first report of the incident came at 11:30 a.m., and the situation was revealed, it was the height of the guilt and regret I’ve felt in my 27 years in law enforcement,” Onizuka said. “I feel the weight of my responsibility.”

Elections for seats in Japan’s upper house of parliament are going ahead as scheduled on Sunday, with the vote expected to deliver victory to the ruling coalition led by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, an Abe protege.