Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe Passed Away after Being Shot at Campaign Event

Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, 67, passed away after being shot dead on Friday at a campaign event in the Nara region.The shooting took place at around 11:30 am. 

A source from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party told the Jiji news agency that Abe collapsed and was bleeding from the neck. 

According to some media outlets he has been shot from the back. He was reportedly shot a few minutes after he began his speech outside of a main train station in Western Nara. 

People heard gunshots when he began his speech. He was holding his chest when he collapsed. His shirt was smeared with blood and he was able to speak before he fell unconscious. 

NHK and Kyodo broadcasters both reported Abe was airlifted to a hospital and appeared to be in cardio-respiratory arrest. 

The suspect has been identified as Tetsuya Yamagami, 41, a local man.He was believed to be standing behind Shinzo Abe, 10 feet away, when he fired at him although he was immediately arrested. 

He told the police that he “targeted Abe with the intention of killing him” and he used a shotgun, as per reports. 

He’s currently in custody and being questioned at Nara Nishi police station. 

Abe has been Japan’s longest serving Prime Minister. He held office in 2006 for one year and again from 2012 to 2020. He stepped down from his responsibilities as he was suffering from ulcerative colitis. 

The distressing event comes as a shock as a country like Japan has the strictest gun laws and gun violence is very rare. 

. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted that he was distressed by the attack on his dear friend Abe Shinzo. “Our thoughts and prayers are with him, his family, and the people of Japan”, he wrote. 

“A barbaric act like this is absolutely unforgivable, no matter what the reasons are, and we condemn it strongly,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu MatsunoMatsuno said.

 

Japan's prime minister Fumio Kishida had earlier said that former PM Shinzo Abe is in a “very grave condition” however later it was confirmed that the former PM didn’t survive the unfortunate incident.