Shinzo Abe, a former Japanese Prime Minister, has died hours after being shot while giving a speech ahead of Sunday’s upper house elections.
Abe was shot in the chest and neck on Friday in western Japan and collapsed on the street, with several security guards running toward him, according to The Guardian UK.
Public broadcaster NHK quoted a senior Liberal Democratic Party official as saying he died in the hospital where he was receiving medical treatment. The attack happened in the city of Nara.
Videos showed security officials at the scene tackling the gunman who is now in police custody.
The attack on Abe, who was Japan’s longest-serving prime minister, has shocked the country.
Doctors from the hospital at the same conference said more than 100 units of blood were used to try and resuscitate Mr Abe. He had been in cardiac arrest when emergency responders arrived at the scene of the crime near one of Nara’s main train stations.
In response to reporters’ questions, they added that no bullets were found in Mr Abe’s body during surgery, but one wound was “deep enough to reach the heart” which caused bleeding.
Mr Abe had suffered two wounds about 5cm apart on his neck, confirming earlier reports, and open-heart surgery was conducted to determine where the haemorrhage was to stop the bleeding, doctors explained.
“Everything that can be done is being done to revive him. I am praying from the depths of my heart that his life will be saved,” Mr Kishida said, struggling to hold back tears. He said he would not speculate about the gunman’s motives and whether it signalled a trend of societal unhappiness.
After Mr Abe’s death was confirmed, Mr Kishida said Upper House elections will take place as scheduled on Sunday under tighter security.
The prime minister condemned the attack on his predecessor, which he characterised as an attack on democracy, adding that Japan “will not cave to barbarism and terrorism”. Parties will continue campaigning on Saturday.
A man identified as Tetsuya Yamagami, 41, a Nara resident, has been arrested. Public broadcaster NHK cited Yamagami as telling police sources that he was disgruntled with Mr Abe and “wanted to kill him”.
Fuji TV reported that the suspect was a former member of the maritime self-defence force, while NHK said he had served in the force for about three years until 2005.
A gun has been recovered at the scene and the suspect was arrested for attempted murder, NHK reported.
