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Ex-Japanese PM Shinzo Abe Died After Being Shot By A Navy Veteran During Campaign Speech
The gunman reasoned that he was “dissatisfied” by the man.
Japan’s longest-serving prime minister Shinzo Abe has been declared dead on his way to the hospital after he was shot twice while giving his campaign speech. The 67-year-old was in Nara, Japan, speaking to ask for support for a local candidate before the elections that were set to happen on Sunday.
NHK reported his death six hours later, not long after Akie, his wife, arrived at his bedside.
The gunner, Tetsuya Yamagami, a 41-year-old navy veteran, was arrested at the scene.
He had on his body a home-made shotgun when apprehended and immediately admitted to the killing. When asked about his reason, the police were only told that he was “dissatisfied” with him.
Yamagami approached him as he was just about to start his speech before firing two shots. The second one hit him, and the security immediately tackled Yamagami.
The current Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida, slammed the attack as a “heinous, barbaric” act that was a direct opposite to “the foundation of democracy.” It was “absolutely unforgivable. I would like to use the most extreme words available to condemn this act.”
Japan is known for its strict gun laws and has been deeply shocked by the event that took the life of Japan’s best-known politician. Kishida revealed that the motivation for the attack was obscure, but political members have been putting their campaigns to halt in the wake of his death.
After stepping down in 2020, Abe remained a senior member of the Liberal Democratic Party after serving as the Prime Minister for eight years.
Chief cabinet secretary Hirokazu Matsuno from Nara spoke, “Former prime minister Abe was shot at around 11:30 am.”
“One man, believed to be the shooter, has been taken into custody. The condition of former prime minister Abe is currently unknown. Whatever the reason, such a barbaric act can never be tolerated, and we strongly condemn it.”
The perpetrator was a former soldier in the self-defense forces for three years and built his own weapon to murder the man. Reportedly, the gunman managed to approach Abe despite his security team “without being checked.” A task force has been formed in reaction to his death.
U.S. Ambassador Rahm Emanuel shared his condolences, “We are all saddened and shocked by the shooting of former prime minister Abe Shinzo. The U.S. government and American people are praying for the well-being of Abe-san, his family, and people of Japan.”
“Abe-san has been an outstanding leader of Japan and unwavering ally of the U.S. The U.S. Government and American people are praying for the well-being of Abe-san, his family, & people of Japan,” he continued writing on Twitter.
