Local media claimed that former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was reportedly shot during a campaign event in the Nara area on Friday, and it is believed that he has passed away as a result of his injuries.
Citing anonymous police sources, the national network NHK said that a man in his forties had been detained for attempted murder and that a firearm had been taken from his possession.
According to NHK and the Kyodo news agency, the former leader was giving a campaign speech at an event ahead of Sunday’s elections for the upper house when the apparent sound of gunfire was heard. The elections will take place on Sunday.
A young lady who was present at the incident told NHK that a guy approached the speaker from behind as he was delivering a speech.
“The first shot sounded like it was being fired from a toy. There was a loud blast, and he did not tumble to the ground. The second shot was more noticeable; both the spark and the smoke were evident “Additionally, she said.
After the second shot, a crowd gathered around him and began performing cardiac massage on him.
According to a source from Abe’s governing Liberal Democratic Party who spoke to the Jiji news agency, the 67-year-old leader had fainted and was bleeding from the neck.
Neither the LDP nor the local police were able to corroborate the claims straight away.
It was stated by both NHK and Kyodo that Abe was rushed to the hospital and seemed to be in cardo-respiratory arrest. This is a word that is used in Japan to indicate that a person is not exhibiting any vital signs, and it often comes before a formal certification of death by a coroner.
According to reports from a number of different media sites, it seemed as if he had been shot from behind, probably with a shotgun.
The government said that in response to the occurrence, a task force had been established, and the primary government spokesperson was anticipated to make a statement very soon.
Abe served as Japan’s Prime Minister in 2006 for one year and again from 2012 until 2020, when he was forced to leave down due to the severe intestinal ailment ulcerative colitis. Abe is the prime minister with the longest tenure in Japanese history.
In spite of having some of the strictest gun control regulations in the world, the number of persons killed by guns each year in Japan, a nation with a population of 125 million, is often in the single digits.
Even for Japanese residents, acquiring a gun licence is a lengthy and difficult procedure. First, applicants must get a recommendation from a shooting group, and then they must submit themselves to stringent checks by the police.
