While giving a speech in Nara, near Osaka, former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot and killed by a lone gunman. Early reports on Abe's condition were muddled, but it has now been officially announced that he succumbed to his injury. According to local police, Abe was shot from behind with a homemade shotgun by 41-year-old Tetsuya Yamagami, who was arrested at the scene. Yamagami confessed to the killing, stating that he was "dissatisfied" with Abe.
The shooting took place at 11:30 a.m. local time (10:30 p.m. EST). An eyewitness described:
"He [Abe] was giving a speech, and a man came from behind … The first shot sounded like a toy. He didn't fall, and there was a large bang. The second shot was more visible; you could see the spark and smoke.
"After the second shot, people surrounded him and gave him cardiac massage."
Shinzo Abe (Photo by Franck Robichon/Pool/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who took over as Japan's leader in October 2021, about a year after Abe stepped down due to health issues, said, "It is a barbaric act that took place during the election, which is the base of democracy. It is absolutely unforgivable."
"This heinous act, we don't know the detailed information yet. But elections are being held. This is the very foundation of democracy, and that such an incident took place is barbaric and malicious, and it cannot be tolerated," Kishida continued. The country was due to hold elections on Sunday; it is unclear at this time whether the ballot will continue as planned.
Speaking from Bali, Indonesia, where he is attending the G20 summit, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he was "deeply saddened about the shooting" and that "our thoughts, prayers are with him, his family, and the people of Japan. Very sad moment."
Before the news was released that Shinzo Abe had died from his wound, former President Donald Trump posted:
"Absolutely devastating news that former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan, a truly great man and leader, has been shot, and is in very serious condition. He was a true friend of mine and, much more importantly, America. This is a tremendous blow to the wonderful people of Japan, who loved and admired him so much. We are all praying for Shinzo and his beautiful family!"
Trump and Abe had a close relationship that continued even while the 45th president was facing political turmoil at home. It is reported that Abe visited Trump at Mar-a-Lago on numerous occasions.
The 67-year-old politician was Japan's longest-serving prime minister, having a brief spell in the top office in 2006-2007, and then again from 2012 to 2020. He will be most remembered for his economic reforms – known as "Abenomics” – that sought to pull his country out of financial stagnation.
At the time of publishing, neither President Joe Biden nor Vice President Kamala Harris have released a statement.
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