Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s health is “very serious,” according to Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. He stated that he was “praying” for his survival. He strongly condemned the attack by the already identified perpetrator.
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According to Kishida, it is unacceptable that Abe was attacked ahead of Sunday’s election to the upper house of parliament, which represents the heart of democracy. “This is a barbaric act in the middle of an election campaign that is the foundation of democracy and is completely inexcusable,” he said.
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Shinzo Abe was most likely shot from behind, Reuters wrote, citing a source from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). According to television, the police detained a forty-two-year-old man who is suspected of the shooting after the attack.
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“According to the local fire station, former Prime Minister Abe appears to be in a state of cardiac and respiratory arrest,” state broadcaster NHK said. According to AFP, the television used terms and phrases used in Japan in cases before doctors can officially confirm death.
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Videos from the scene of the incident are also circulating on social networks. NHK, for example, showed a video of Abe giving a campaign speech outside a train station when two shots rang out, briefly obscuring the view and then showing security forces knocking the man to the ground.
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Second video shows the attempted assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe
NOTE: Video not graphic, but viewer discretion is advised pic.twitter.com/BZNGHP78ds
— BNO News (@BNONews) July 8, 2022
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A photo by the Kyodo agency showed Abe lying on the street with blood on his white shirt. People were crowding around him, one of them was massaging his heart. According to Reuters, Abe was shot in the right side of the neck and the left side of the chest.
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The assailant struck in the city of Nara as the former prime minister was speaking to a crowd at a train station as part of a campaign. Witnesses to the incident described seeing a man with a gun, stated British BBC correspondent Rupert Wingfield-Hayes. However, the shooter missed first. He only hit Abe a second time. He immediately fell to the ground, bleeding and collapsed.
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Security forces immediately arrested the perpetrator, who did not defend himself. According to media reports, he is Tecuja Yamagami, a former member of the Maritime Self-Defense Force who left in 2005. The suspect told police he was not happy with the former prime minister and wanted to kill him, state broadcaster NHK said moments later, citing sources. The incident occurred according to Reuters at 11:30 local time.
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The first reactions to the incident are coming from abroad
The first reactions are also coming from world leaders. “Our thoughts and prayers are with him, his family and the Japanese people,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on the sidelines of the G20 meeting on the Indonesian island of Bali. “It’s a very, very sad moment. And we are waiting for news from Japan,” he added.
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U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel said the U.S. was “praying” for Abe. He described the Japanese ex-prime minister as “an outstanding leader of Japan and a staunch ally of the US.”
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European Council President Charles Michel described Abe as “a true friend, a firm defender of the multilateral order and democratic values.” “The EU stands by the Japanese people and Fumio Kishida at this difficult time. My deepest condolences to his family,” Michel said.
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Former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd described the incident as an attack “on pro-democracy supporters”.
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“I believe everyone is as surprised and sad as I am. Both Taiwan and Japan are democratic countries with the rule of law. On behalf of my government, I would like to strongly condemn violent and illegal acts. Former Prime Minister Abe is not only my good friend, but also a faithful friend of Taiwan,” Taiwanese President Cai Jing-wen said on Facebook.
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Shooting attacks in Japan are unprecedented
Gunman attacks are rare in Japan, where handguns are banned. If a local wants to buy a gun, they have to go through strict tests and a psychological test. Even in this case, he can only purchase an air rifle or an airsoft weapon, writes the BBC. According to NHK, however, the perpetrator’s weapon from Friday’s incident appears to have been homemade.
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Incidents against politicians are almost unheard of in Japan. While there were 33,599 gun deaths in the United States in 2014, for example, there were only six in Japan that same year.
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Abe was Japan’s longest-serving prime minister. He headed the government from 2006 to 2007 and from 2012 to September 2020, when he resigned. A month earlier, he announced that he intended to resign due to his health condition.
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All major political groups have suspended campaigning ahead of Sunday’s election to the upper house of parliament, according to local media, at the request of the ruling party. Kishida said at a press conference that he had summoned all members of the government to Tokyo.
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