Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot and hospitalised
Shinzo Abe, a former Japanese prime minister, is seen lying on the ground following what appears to be a gunshot on July 10, 2022.
JULY 8TH, TOKYO (Reuters) – Former Japanese PM Shinzo Abe was shot while campaigning in Nara on Friday, according to a government official, with public broadcaster NHK reporting that he was shot from behind by a guy with a shotgun.
Hirokazu Matsuno, the head of the cabinet, claimed to be unaware of Abe’s health. A 42-year-old man who looked to have shot Abe has been detained by police, according to the press.
According to the Kyodo news agency and NHK, Abe, 67, was initially aware and alert when he was rushed to the hospital but afterwards looked to be in a condition of cardiac arrest.
安倍元首相、撃たれた。
南無大師遍照金剛
天の御加護があります様に。 pic.twitter.com/1Ma8ZJSOFn— 五香粉炒め (@eeWYTNa1QxcCudM) July 8, 2022
NHK aired video of Abe giving an election campaign address outside of a railway station when two bullets were fired. The video then temporarily became blocked as security personnel tackled a suspect on the ground. In a different footage that was broadcast on NHK, Abe could be seen surrounded by smoke.
Abe had been shot at around 11:30 a.m., Matsuno revealed at a briefing (0230 GMT).He declared, “Such a barbaric crime cannot be permitted.” According to TBS Television, Abe was shot in the neck and on the left side of his chest.
Japan is a nation with strong firearms laws, and political violence there is uncommon.Prior his resigning in 2020 due to bad health, Abe had spent two terms as prime minister, making him the longest-serving leader in Japanese history.
He still maintains a stronghold over the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), nonetheless, and is in charge of one of its key groups.According to observers, his protégé, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, is running in Sunday’s upper house election with the intention of eclipsing Abe and defining his premiership.
After the shooting of Abe, Kishida halted his election campaign and, according to the media, was going back to Tokyo.The election was not going to be delayed, according to the authorities.
Rahm Emanuel, the American ambassador, expressed his sorrow and sadness by the shooting of a distinguished leader and steadfast ally. In a statement, he added, “The U.S. government and American citizens are praying for the health of Abe-san, his family, and the people of Japan.”