On a campaign stop today for a candidate of his party in Nara today, former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot and later died at a hospital:
"Abe, 67, was shot from behind minutes after he started his speech in Nara. He was airlifted to a hospital for emergency treatment but was not breathing and his heart had stopped. He was later pronounced dead despite emergency treatment that included massive blood transfusions, hospital officials said.
Police arrested the suspected gunman at the scene of an attack that shocked many in Japan, which is one of the world’s safest nations and has some of the strictest gun control laws anywhere. [snip]
Nara prefectural police confirmed the arrest of Tetsuya Yamagami, 41, on suspicion of attempted murder. They said an explosives team raided the suspect’s home to gather evidence. NHK reported that the suspect served in Japan’s navy for three years in the 2000s and that he said he wanted to kill Abe because he had complaints that were not related to political views."
Prior to stepping down in 2020, Abe was the longest-serving Japanese Prime Minister, who became a recognized presence on the world stage. Abe had politics in his lineage, as his grandfather was former Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi, and his father was former Japanese Foreign Minister Shintaro Abe.
World leaders are reacting in shock over the assassination.
(photo: Abe lies on the pavement as aides react. Kyodo News via AP)
