Former Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe, has been confirmed dead by the Liberal Democratic Party after being shot during a rally speech earlier today (8 July) in Nara, Japan.
The current Prime Minister of Japan, Fumio Kishida, earlier said that Abe was in critical condition following the shooting, as he condemned the attack which he described as “barbaric” and “unforgivable”.
Kishida said that he won’t be speculating about the motives of the gunman or if it was a signal of unhappiness within the society.
Gunman was a former soldier
According to the Japanese media outlet, NHK, a 41-year-old resident of Nara, Tetsuya Yamagami, was arrested, with NHK reporting that Yamagami had told the police that he wanted to kill Abe after being disgruntled with him.
According to Fuji TV, the suspect was a former member of the maritime self-defence force, while NHK reported that he had served in the force for 3 years until 2005.
Home raided
He has since been arrested for attempted murder, and a gun has been recovered at the crime scene.
His home has also been raided by the Japanese police in protective gear, donning helmets and body armour and carrying protective shields.
Abe’s brother, Nobuo Kishi, who is also the Defence Minister, said the attack was an “attack on democracy” as he condemned it in the strongest terms.
Images source: INC Television via Twitter and Shinzo Abe on Facebook