Japan’s Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe Shot While Giving Campaign Speech

A man has been shot during a campaign event in western Japan. A helicopter was used to get Abe to the hospital after the attack.

The Prime Minister of Japan told reporters that Abe was in critical condition in the hospital and he was praying for his recovery.

NHK reported that police seized a gun at the scene of the shooting that appeared to be handmade and that a 41-year-old man was arrested for attempted murder.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said that the act was barbaric.

A cloud of white smoke behind Abe as he gave a speech near a station was captured on video. The witnesses said they heard two loud bangs before Abe fell.

Abe was in Nara to support a candidate. The Liberal Democratic Party did not receive any threats before Abe spoke.

The longest serving prime minister was Abe. From 2012 to 2020 the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party had to step down due to health reasons.

During his time in office, Abe pushed for the revision of Japan's pacifist constitution and played a prominent role in politics afterwards. His father was a foreign minister and his grandfather was a prime minister.

Abe launched a three-pronged economic strategy to revive Japan's economy with monetary easing, fiscal spending and regulatory reforms.

The country has had little political violence in the past and still has strict gun control laws.