Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is dead

Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe died after being shot during a campaign speech, Japan’s NHK television has reported.

Abe was shot from behind minutes after he started his speech Friday in Nara in western Japan. He was airlifted to a hospital for emergency treatment but was not breathing and his heart had stopped.

He was pronounced dead later at the hospital.

The 67-year-old Abe was Japan’s longest-serving leader before stepping down for health reasons in 2020. Police arrested the suspected gunman at the scene of the attack, which shocked people in a country known as one of the world’s safest.

The shooter, a man in his 40s has been arrested and a shotgun has been recovered from him.

Also read | Shinzo Abe: Former Japanese PM pushed for strong ties with India, US

NHK public television aired footage showing Abe collapsing on the street in Nara, with several security guards running toward him. Abe was holding his chest when he collapsed, with his shirt smeared with blood.

The moment that Japanese Former PM Shinzo Abe was shot. Looks to be a DIY shotgun. pic.twitter.com/sC0yzzfIob

— Global: MilitaryInfo (@Global_Mil_Info) July 8, 2022

He was immediately rushed to a hospital. He is said to be in a cardio-respiratory arrest.

Former PM Shinzo Abe arriving at the hospital after being airlifted via medical helicopter.pic.twitter.com/3wKfGxIoqd

— 🌹🇺🇸 Deb-Plorable Lee 🇺🇸🌹 (@DebraLee_1234) July 8, 2022

The incident occurred around 11.30 am (8.29 am IST) on Friday.

Witnesses reported hearing gunshots in the attack in Nara. He was standing while making an election campaign speech ahead of Sunday’s election for the Parliament’s upper house.

The shooter has been identified as Tetsuya Yamagami, a resident of Nara and reportedly an ex-military person. Reports said the 41-year-old assassin was standing 10 feet away from Shindo and had fired from behind.

He was apprehended by police immediately after Abe collapsed to the ground. He has been charged with attempted murder.

The Japanese government has formed a task force in the wake of the attack and a top government spokesperson is expected to address the media shortly.

NHK reported that Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has cancelled his Friday’s campaign events in Fukushima and Kyoto and is heading back to Tokyo.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed his distress over the incident in a tweet.

“Deeply distressed by the attack on my dear friend Abe Shinzo. Our thoughts and prayers are with him, his family, and the people of Japan,” Modi tweeted.

The 67-year-old Abe has been Japan’s longest-serving prime minister. He held office in 2006 for a year and then again from 2012 to 2020. Bad health forced him to step down.

Shinzo during his tenure as prime minister had shared cordial relations in India and supported it on global platforms. In a major boost to diplomatic ties, Japan had criticised China’s attempts to change the status quo at the Indo-China border during the Doklam crisis and the recent standoff at the LAC.

Japan’s longest-serving prime minister, Abe had cited poor health behind his resignation in 2020.

(This is a developing story)