Highlights
- Shinzo Abe, the longest-serving prime minister of Japan, was shot in the chest.
- Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was campaigning in Nara city for the country’s upcoming upper house elections.
- A 40-year-old man who shot the Japanese PM with a shotgun is in custody.
Shinzo Abe, a former Japanese prime minister, was shot in the chest while giving a speech in Nara, approximately an hour east of Osaka. He is currently in serious condition.
Two gunshots were reported during the event on Friday at 11.30 am, according to local channel NHK.
According to reports, Mr. Abe is not breathing, and police have informed NHK that a man in his 40s has been arrested after being discovered in possession of a gun.
Social media videos showed neighborhood residents running to Mr. Abe’s rescue. He was then transported to Nara Medical University Hospital by helicopter.
Video Going Viral on Internet
A similar video posted on Twitter showed Mr. Abe and several other people standing behind the podium when a shot and a plume of smoke were heard.
According to a number of media agencies, Mr. Abe was spotted bleeding from the neck as people gathered around him after he fell.
According to a former governor of Tokyo, after the reported attack, Mr. Abe had a heart attack.
In a translated tweet, he stated, “Important news: Former Prime Minister Abe was shot with a shotgun at a speech in Nara prefecture and was in a condition of cardiac arrest.”
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Prior to Sunday’s upper house elections, Mr. Abe was helping a candidate for the Liberal Democratic Party who was campaigning in Nara.
The 67-year-old held the position from September 2006 to September 2007 and then again from December 2012 until September 2020, making him the longest-serving prime minister in Japan’s history.
In 1993, the former Prime Minister of Japan, Mr. Abe, won a seat in the Japanese House of Representatives. In 2005, he was named chief cabinet secretary, and the following year, he was elected prime minister.
Everybody is reacting to this incident
Among the leaders from across the world who sent Mr. Abe, their best wishes and condolences were Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
Our sympathies are currently with Shinzo Abe’s family and the people of Japan, according to the shocking news coming out of Japan, Mr. Albanese tweeted.
Malcolm Turnbull, a former prime minister, expressed his “fear” after hearing of the incident.
“The horrific news coming out of Japan horrifies me. Abe Shinzo is one of the most accomplished leaders of our time. Now, we must keep asking God for his healing and holding out hope “He tweeted.
Rahm Emanuel, the US ambassador to Japan, tweeted his support for the former leader and stated that the “American citizens are praying” for him to get healthy.
“The shooting on former prime minister Abe Shinzo has shocked and grieved us all.” Japan under Abe-san has done a fantastic job of becoming a reliable ally of the United States. In his letter, he stated that “the American people and government are praying for Abe-san, his family, and the people of Japan.”