Author: Phlippages
Japan’s longest serving prime minister Shinzo Abe, 67, was shot on Friday while he was delivering a speech ahead of the parliamentary elections.
Mr Abe was making a campaign speech in front of Kintetsu Railway Yamato-Saidaiji station ahead of the election coming up in Sunday when two shots rang out and Mr Abe fell to the ground.
A man opened fire on Abe, 67, from behind with an apparently homemade gun as he spoke at a drab traffic island in the western city of Nara, Japanese media reported.
This is the first assassination of a sitting or former Japanese premier since the days of prewar militarism in 1936.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, condemned the shooting in the “strongest terms” while Japanese people and world leaders expressed shock.
“This attack is an act of brutality that happened during the elections – the very foundation of our democracy – and is absolutely unforgivable,” said the prime minister.
Police said a 41-year-old man suspected of carrying out the shooting had been arrested. NHK quoted the suspect, identified as Tetsuya Yamagami, as telling police he was dissatisfied with Abe and wanted to kill him.
Doctors struggled to save Abe but he died at 5:03 p.m. (0803 GMT), about five and a half hours after being shot.
He bled to death from two deep wounds, one on the right side of his neck, a doctor told a nationally televised news conference. The former leader had no vital signs when he was brought in.
