Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot on Friday while campaigning for a national election, according to the government, with public broadcaster NHK reporting that he appeared to have been shot from behind by a man wielding a shotgun.
A 41-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of carrying out the shooting in the western city of Nara, according to police.
According to Kyodo and NHK, Abe, 67, appeared to be in cardiac arrest when airlifted to the hospital after initially being conscious and responsive.
A man in his 40s who appeared to have shot Abe in the back had been arrested for attempted murder. The gun had been seized.
According to reports, Shinzo Abe collapsed after a second shot was fired. According to multiple media reports, he appeared to have been shot from behind, possibly with a shotgun. Japan has some of the strictest gun laws among major economies, and shootings are uncommon.
Shinzo Abe, Japan’s longest-serving prime minister, served for one year in 2006 and again from 2012 to 2020 before being forced to resign due to the debilitating bowel condition ulcerative colitis.
