TOKYO: Japan government confirmed on Friday (Jul 8) that former excellent minister Shinzo Abe had been shot in the western region of Nara.
“Former prime minister Abe was shot at around eleven. 30 am in Nara. One man, believed to be the present shooter, has been taken directly into custody. The condition of former prime minister Abe is currently unknown, inch chief cabinet secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters.
National broadcaster NHK said a man in his forties had been arrested pertaining to attempted murder and also a gun had been confiscated from him, citing police sources.
Abe had been providing a stump speech at an event ahead of Sunday’s upper house elections when “gunshot-like” sounds were noticed, national broadcaster NHK and the Kyodo news agency said earlier.
“He was giving a talk and a man came from behind, ” a young woman at the scene told NHK.
“The first shot sounded like a gadget. He didn’t drop and there was a substantial bang. The second chance was more noticeable, you could see the spark and smoke, inch she added.
“After the second photo, people surrounded him and gave him cardiac massage. inch