MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Former Japanese PM Shinzo Abe shot dead

Abe, 67, was the longest-serving prime minister in Japan's history

Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has died after taking two shots during an election rally in the western city of Nara Friday after which he was hospitalized in a serious condition, it was reported. A man in his 40s has been arrested and a gun was seized.

According to The Japan Times, doctors told a news conference that Abe was already in a state of cardiopulmonary arrest when admitted to the hospital.

Former PM died from massive bleeding, hospital surgeon, Nara Medical University Hospital doctor Hidetada Fukushima said, adding that doctors tried to resuscitate him and gave him massive blood transfusions.

In the middle of his speech, shots were heard. Immediately, the former Japanese head of government collapsed and he was rushed to a hospital. Hours after the attack, he was pronounced dead.

A reporter from the NHK news network who was at the scene said that a gunshot was heard and that Abe was bleeding.

Police arrested a suspect and the Fire Department reported that Shinzo showed no vital signs after the shot that hit Abe's chest.

 

CAUGHT ON CAMERA: The attempted assassination of Shinzo Abe.

The former Japanese PM is one of the region's fiercest opponents of the CCP.

I hope he pulls through.

pic.twitter.com/hdlE1f91z2

— Avi Yemini (@OzraeliAvi) July 8, 2022

 

Abe was making a campaign speech at an event ahead of Sunday's elections for the Upper House when “a man came from behind,” according to a female witness, NHK reported.

“The first shot sounded like a toy. He didn't fall but then there was a loud bang. The second shot was more visible, you could see the bang and smoke,” she added.

Abe, 67, collapsed and was bleeding from his neck, a source in his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) told the Jiji news agency.

The Japanese government announced the creation of a task force following the incident.

Around 11:30 am on the 8th, Ex-Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was giving a speech on the street, was shot with a shotgun in front of Kintetsu Yamato-Saidaiji Station in Nara City.

Two gunshots during the speech by former Prime Minister Abe, the scene is noisy pic.twitter.com/AzCvbCAwN9

— World News 24 (@DailyWorld24) July 8, 2022

 

 

Shinzo Abe was in critical condition after being shot Friday morning while giving a speech, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said. Abe was shot at around 11.30 am in Nara, just east of Osaka. “Currently, doctors are doing everything they can,” he said. “At this moment, I am hoping and praying that former PM Abe will survive this,” Kishida said.

“Outrageous acts of this kind are absolutely intolerable, no matter the reason, and I strongly condemn this act,” Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters.

All politicians out campaigning ahead of this weekend's election have been instructed to return to Tokyo, officials said.

Yamagami Tetsuya, 41, has been arrested on allegations of attempted murder. Authorities also retrieved what appeared to be a homemade gun.

Abe, 67, was the longest-serving prime minister in Japan's history and remains one of the country's most influential politicians. He held office from 2006 to 2007 and again from 2012 until 2020 when he resigned due to health issues. The conservative leader was best known for his package of growth-oriented economic reforms known as Abenomics.

Shootings in Japan are extremely rare as it has some of the most restrictive gun laws in the world.