Former Japan PM Shinzo Abe Dies After Being Shot At Suring Speech
Mumbai: Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has died after being shot while delivering a speech in the city of Nara. Police said that the attacker, identified as 41-year-old Yamagami Tetsuya, told investigators that he was “dissatisfied” with Abe and “intended to kill him”.
“Officials say former Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo has been confirmed dead. He was reportedly shot during a speech on Friday in the city of Nara, near Kyoto,” Japanese media outlet NHK tweeted on its official Twitter handle.
Liberal Democratic Party sources also confirmed the same, Kyoto news agency reported.
Abe, Japan’s longest-serving prime minister, stepped down in 2020 citing health reasons. He was the Prime Minister of Japan twice, from 2006–07 and again from 2012–20. He was succeeded by Yoshihide Suga and later by Fumio Kishida.
Earlier today, 67-year-old Abe was taken to hospital after collapsing at 11.30 am (local time) during a campaign speech in the western Japanese city of Nara ahead of elections to the upper house of Japan’s parliament.
Initial media reports citing officials said Abe appeared to be shot in the chest and described the former PM’s condition as “cardiopulmonary arrest”.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said in his live address to the nation today that Abe’s condition was critical.
“This is not a forgivable act,” Kishida said adding that authorities would “take appropriate measures to handle the situation.”
Kishida further said that the motive behind the shooting of Abe is not known. The media outlet also reported, citing government sources, that the Abe shooting suspect is a former member of Japan’s Self-Defense Forces.
The Japanese PM requested everyone not to speculate about any political influence at that time. According to local media, Japanese police have identified the suspect arrested for shooting Abe as 41-year-old Tetsuya Yamagami, a resident of the city of Nara.
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