Former Japanese prime minister Abe shot: report

Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot Friday morning local time in the Japanese city of Nara while giving a speech, Japanese public broadcaster NHK reports.

The local fire department said that Abe was showing no vital signs, according to NHK. The department said the former prime minister was in cardiac arrest, which is when the heart stops beating, usually resulting in the loss of consciousness. 

Abe, 67, was transported to a local hospital for emergency care.

Japanese police have taken a man, 41-year-old Yamagami Tetsuya, into custody for allegedly attempting homicide, the outlet reported. Police seized a gun from Tetsuya and are interrogating him.

Police said that Abe appears to have been shot from behind with a shotgun, NHK reported. 

Abe was giving a speech to campaign for a Liberal Democratic Party candidate on the street near the city’s train station at the time of the shooting, according to NHK.

A reporter for the outlet reported hearing what sounded like gunfire and also reported seeing the former Japanese leader bleeding.

Abe served two terms as Japanese prime minister before stepping down in 2020. He was the nation’s longest-serving prime minister. Even after he stepped down, he remained an influential and active figure in the country’s politics.

U.S. ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel responded to the shooting on Twitter, calling Abe “an outstanding leader of Japan and unwavering ally of the U.S.”

“We are all saddened and shocked by the shooting of former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo,” Emanuel said, adding, “The U.S. Government and American people are praying for the well-being of Abe-san, his family, & people of Japan.”

— Updated July 8at 12:18 a.m.