TW: This article contains footage that you may find distressing
Accounts from the scene suggest the firearm was homemade
Former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe is in “grave condition” after being shot while giving a speech in the western city of Nara.
Current Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has called for his cabinet ministers to return to Tokyo after Abe was attacked from behind and suffered a cardiac arrest. Ex-Tokyo governor Yoichi Masuzoe tweeted that Abe had experienced a cardiopulmonary arrest, a term which, according to the BBC, is often used to foreshadow the deaths of Japanese officials.
While conflicting reports claimed that Abe had been shot on the left and another on the right, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency confirmed that he had suffered a bullet wound to the right of his neck. The model of the gun is yet to be confirmed, but tweets from the scene suggest it was homemade.
“Former prime minister Abe was shot at around 11:30 local time (02:30 GMT) in Nara. One man, believed to be the shooter, has been taken into custody. The condition of former prime minister Abe is currently unknown,” chief cabinet secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters. “Whatever the reason, such a barbaric act can never be tolerated, and we strongly condemn it.”
Videos shared on social media showed the scene moments after Shinzo Abe, Japan's former leader, was shot at a junction in the city of Nara.
This video includes scenes of graphic violence: https://t.co/7MxzFjSOkf pic.twitter.com/kSUut1WX5a
— The New York Times (@nytimes) July 8, 2022
Videos on social media seemingly showed paramedics huddled around Abe in the street before taking him to the hospital for further treatment. A man with a large gun was seen behind the former PM, where he stood to fire the shots. Immediately after the attack, officers were able to subdue the man, who made no attempt to flee.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida says Shinzo Abe is in a "critical condition". "The doctors are doing everything they can. I am hoping and praying that Abe will survive this".
— Eryk Bagshaw (@ErykBagshaw) July 8, 2022
The attacker was identified as Tetsuya Yamagami, a man in his 40s who lives in the Nara area. Local media also suggests that Yamagami is a former Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Force member.
Utterly appalled and saddened to hear about the despicable attack on Shinzo Abe.
My thoughts are with his family and loved ones.
— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) July 8, 2022
Prime Minister Boris Johnson, at least PM for a while at least, shared a passionate tweet after the attack.
“Utterly appalled and saddened to hear about the despicable attack on Shinzo Abe,” he wrote. “My thoughts are with his family and loved ones.”
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