Assassination of Shinzo Abe, Former Japanese Prime Minister was shot and killed in broad daylight by a perpetrator using a home-made handgun.
According to public broadcaster NHK, former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe died on Friday after being shot while giving a campaign address on a street in central Japan.
The assassination of Shinzo Abe, former world leader in broad daylight stunned a nation unaccustomed to gun violence, prompting an outpouring of support and sorrow from around the world.
Doctors at Nara Medical University hospital revealed during a press conference on Friday that Abe died from severe bleeding and was pronounced dead at 5:03 p.m. local time. The gunshot that killed the former Japanese leader was “deep enough to reach his heart,” according to the physicians, and a team of 20 medical specialists could not stem the bleeding.
Doctors stated Abe went into cardiopulmonary arrest at the scene of the gunshot and was taken to the hospital in a state of cardiac arrest at 12:20 p.m. local time. Doctors detected a bullet wound to his neck and a big wound on his heart during surgery.
Abe, 67, was the previous leader of Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party and the country’s longest-serving prime minister, serving from 2006 to 2007 and again from 2012 to 2020 before stepping down for health concerns. He has stayed in the public glare since stepping down, frequently appearing in the media to address current events.
At the time of the incident, Ex-Prime Minister Abe was giving a rally in Nara city in favor of LDP candidates ahead of the impending Upper House elections on Sunday.
The public broadcaster aired a video of Abe speaking to a small crowd in front of Yamatosaidaiji railway station shortly before the shooting. Two shots can be heard in the following videos, and smoke can be seen in the air.
According to photos from the scene, people crowded around the former leader as he lay in the street, blood spots on his white shirt.
He was airlifted to the hospital, where physicians worked feverishly to keep him alive. According to authorities, he was shot twice in the chest and neck, according to NHK.
An official with the Nara City Fire Department said on Friday that Abe was in cardiopulmonary arrest, which is the sudden loss of cardiac function and breathing.
According to NHK, a suspect, Tetsuya Yamagami, a local guy in his 40s, was detained and charged with attempted murder. The suspect appears to have utilized a handmade weapon in the attack, while the motivation is unknown. According to NHK, he was detained for questioning at the Nara Nishi police station on Friday.
Fumio Kishida, Japan’s Prime Minister, expressed his “deepest sympathies” to former Prime Minister Abe, stating he “was a close friend with whom (he) spent a lot of time.”
Kishida stated that he has “great respect for the legacy (Abe) left behind” and will continue campaigning on Saturday, stressing that a free and fair election must be defended at all costs.
In a tweet on Friday, European Union Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described Abe as “a beautiful person, great democrat, and advocate of the multilateral world system.”
“I mourn alongside his family, friends, and the entire Japanese people. The world is shocked by Shinzo Abe’s violent and despicable murder, “She stated.
Assassination Scene of Shinzo Abe despite Japan’s low rate of gun crime
The killing of Abe has startled Japan, which has one of the world’s lowest gun crime rates due to exceptionally strong gun control legislation.
In 2018, Japan reported nine firearm-related deaths, compared to 39,740 in the United States.
Air rifles and shotguns are the only firearms licensed for sale in Japan; handguns are prohibited. However, obtaining them is a time-consuming and difficult process.
According to Nancy Snow, Japan director of the International Security Industrial Council, the shooting on Friday will impact the country “forever.”
“It’s not just rare, but it’s culturally incomprehensible,” Snow remarked. “The Japanese cannot comprehend a gun culture like the one we have in the United States. This is a silent moment. I’m completely at a loss for words. I wish the former prime minister the best.”
Read More News: 180DEGREESNEWS – Looking at the World from a Fresh Angle.
