Ljapan is in shock. Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe shows no signs of life after he was apparently shot and wounded on Friday July 8 during a political event in the Nara region in the west of the country. The former chief executive was delivering a campaign speech ahead of Sunday’s senatorial elections when gunshots were heard.
The facts took place around 11:30 a.m. (2:30 a.m. GMT). Shinzo Abe, 67, collapsed and was bleeding from his neck. He was taken to hospital and appeared to be in cardiopulmonary arrest – a term used in Japan indicating no sign of life, and usually preceding an official death certificate. Several media reported that he appeared to have been shot from behind, likely with a gun. A man has been arrested for attempted murder. Citing police sources, state broadcaster NHK said the suspect appears to be in his 40s and a weapon was seized.
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Suspect arrested for attempted murder
Shinzo Abe was Japan’s longest-serving prime minister. He was in office in 2006 for a year, then again from 2012 to 2020, when he was forced to resign for health reasons. Japan has one of the strictest gun control laws in the world and the annual death toll from such weapons in the country of 125 million people is extremely low. Obtaining a gun license is a long and complicated process, even for Japanese citizens, who must first obtain a recommendation from a shooting association and then undergo strict police checks.
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