By A former Japanese Prime Minister, Chinzo Abe has been declared dead.
On Friday morning, Abe was shot while delivering a speech at a campaign event in the city of Nara ahead of Sunday’s upper house elections.
According to reports, an unidentified male shooter fired multiple shots at Abe in the chest and neck, forcing him to collapse and began bleeding.
The suspect, a 41-year-old former member of the Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF), was immediately arrested and currently in the custody of the police.
The shooting incident has since attracted global concerns, with many world leaders condemning the attack on the Japanese ex-leader.
Abe was rushed to the Nara Medical University Hospital in Kashihara City and showed no vital signs, according to the local police and emergency services.
He was, however, later declared dead, according to NHK. He was aged 67.
Abe was Japan’s longest-serving leader, serving as the country’s prime minister from 2006 to 2007 and again from 2012 to 2020.
He stepped down in September 2020 due to a relapse of chronic intestinal disease.
