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TOKYO – Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot at a campaign event on Friday and was in critical condition, Japanese officials said, impacting a nation where gun laws are among the most strict rules of the world and armed violence is rare.
Party officials quoted in Japanese media said Abe was unconscious and public broadcaster NHK reported that the 67-year-old showed no vital signs. He had been delivering a speech in Nara, near Osaka, ahead of elections for the upper house of the Japanese Parliament on Sunday.
Around 11:30 a.m. Friday, at least two shots were heard that hit Abe in the chest and neck. Police arrested a suspect, a 40-year-old Nara man named Tetsuya Yamagami, and confiscated a handgun. The gun appeared homemade, police sources told local media. Yamagami was a member of Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Forces for three years, defense officials told Japanese media.
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Images of the event showed Abe giving a speech, then a column of smoke forming behind him as it collapsed. Officials rushed to stop the shooter, who appeared to be located behind Abe. The videos showed a chaotic scene with Abe, motionless, lying on the ground while attendees shouted for an ambulance.
Abe was admitted to Nara Medical University Hospital. Local media, citing police sources, described Abe’s condition as a “cardiopulmonary arrest,” a term often used in Japan before his death was officially confirmed.
The shooting of Japan’s oldest leader sparked shock waves across the country. Although he resigned as prime minister in 2020, Abe remains popular and influential and is a staple in the election campaign, drawing audience and attention across the country to support the ruling Liberal Democratic Party candidates. (LDP).
At an emotional press conference on Friday, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Abe’s condition was critical. He declined to describe the shooter’s motive, saying there was not enough information to share.
“I pray from the bottom of my heart for her to survive this,” said Kishida, who appeared near tears. “This is a despicable and barbaric act that took place in the middle of an election that is the foundation of democracy and that cannot be tolerated at all. We condemn it in the harshest possible terms. “
No decision had been made on whether to change the election date, Kishida said. Cabinet Secretary-General Hirokazu Matsuno said cabinet members campaigning for the polls this weekend have been asked to return to Tokyo.
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Japanese media reported that the suspect had told police he was frustrated with Abe and was targeting the former leader with the intent to kill him.
Abe oversaw a period of relative stability as prime minister from 2012 to 2020, heightening Japan’s global image and emphasizing a strong alliance with the United States, even when former U.S. President Donald Trump put to test long-term relationships with allies.
Abe focused on reviving Japan’s stagnant economy through a package called “Abenomics” and tried to expand Japan’s military defenses. He tried to amend the country’s post-war pacifist constitution, which was controversial, and continued to push for Japan to increase its defensive capabilities, recently suggesting that Japan should discuss a nuclear “compartment” program similar to NATO members. following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. .
He previously led the country from 2006 to 2007, but left the post due to chronic ulcerative colitis, the same condition that led to his resignation in 2020. Kishida, who was campaigning in Yamagata when the shooting occurred, canceled his campaign program on Friday and returned. in Tokyo.
Foreign leaders expressed their sympathy as they reacted with horror to Nara’s events.
In a statement, the White House said it was “surprised and saddened to learn of the violent attack” on Abe. “We are closely monitoring the reports and keeping our thoughts with his family and the people of Japan,” he said.
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Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen said Abe was “not only my good friend, but also Taiwan’s strongest friend.” British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he was “totally dismayed and saddened”. Indian leader Narendra Modi said he was “deeply distressed” by the attack.
The last time a Japanese politician was attacked in the same way as Abe was in 1992, when LDP member and Deputy Prime Minister Shin Kanemaru was attacked by a gunman, but was not injured.
Firearms are strictly regulated in Japan, and armed violence is most often associated with the yakuza, the Japanese criminal network. Last year, 14 of the 17 shootings in Japan were related to the yakuza, according to the National Police Agency.
Anyone trying to obtain a weapon in Japan must apply for a permit, attend a class on security and weapons laws, and pass a written test. There is a full day training course on safe shooting techniques and practice. There are several rounds of checks and checks on the background and health of the gun owner, including information about his family, mental health, personal debt, and criminal history. The weapon must be registered and inspected by the police.