Photos From The Scene Where Ex-Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe Was Shot Dead!

Shinzo Abe

Japan has been hit with a tragedy in the early hours of Friday after a gunman shot to death the country's former Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe sources close to him says.

Abe's assassination is yet to be officially announced but close sources revealed that ,the 67-year-old was shot at about 11:30 a.m. while delivering a street speech in the western city of Nara ahead of Sunday's upper house election.

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Mr Shinzo Abe Addressing a crowd

Nikkei Asia reports that, the PM was rushed to a hospital in Nara Prefecture by helicopter but apparently could not be saved.

 According to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency, Abe had a gunshot wound and was bleeding from his neck on the right side, as well as subcutaneous bleeding in his left chest.

Mr Abe on the ground after getting shot!

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Just before 3 p.m., Prime Minister Fumio Kishida had told reporters that Abe was in "serious condition" and that emergency measures were being taken to save his life.

"It was a despicable and barbaric act that took place in the midst of an election, the very foundation of democracy," Kishida said. "I condemn it in the harshest possible words."

Abe receives emergency treatment after the shooting. He was rushed to a hospital by helicopter.   

The Nara Prefectural Police arrested a 41-year-old man, identified as local resident Tetsuya Yamagami, at the scene. 

Video footage showed officers tackling the man, and what appeared to be a weapon on the pavement. Japanese news agency Kyodo was reporting that the suspected gunman is a former member of Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force.

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Officials from Abe's Liberal Democratic Party said the former prime minister was attacked from behind, and initially that the weapon seemed to be a shotgun. Police later told public broadcaster NHK that it was a handmade gun because Japan has strict laws on gun ownership and shootings are rare.

Abe, who left office in 2020, was still a lower house lawmaker and leader of the biggest faction in the ruling party, making him one of the country's most influential politicians.

According to LDP headquarters, Abe had been scheduled to visit Nara, Kyoto and Saitama prefectures on Friday in support of the party's upper house candidates. In Nara, where the LDP faces a tight race, the local party office said Abe's visit had been decided on Wednesday.

The decease PM was born into a political family in 1954. His father, Shintaro Abe, was also a politician who served as minister of foreign affairs, agriculture and other posts. His grandfather is former Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi.

In 2006, Abe became Japan's youngest postwar prime minister at the age of 52. Although he resigned the following year, he returned to power in 2012 and stayed until 2020, when he stepped down again due to health issues.

 His second period in power lasted 2,822 straight days, the longest streak in Japan's history.

We will bring you more updates.