Everything About the Shooting of Japan Ex-PM Shinzo Abe That is Known So Far

On the morning of 8 July, Japan’s former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo was attending a campaign event in the Nara Prefecture when he was shot in the back with a homemade gun.

Here’s everything we know so far.

What Happened Exactly?

The campaign event was held near Yamato-Saidaiji station, in the western suburbs of Nara.

At around 11:30am on Friday, Abe Shinzo was shot twice from the back: one shot hitting his neck while the other hit his left collarbone, according to the local fire department.

Witnesses testified that the shooting began one or two minutes into the speech.

Footage from NHK showed that there was a plume of white smoke following the loud bangs, with the second shot visibly sparking.

Reportedly, Mr Abe was still conscious, but he subsequently went into cardiac arrest and fainted.

Two students, who were in closer proximity to the shooter, initially thought that it was a toy bazooka in his hands. They recounted hearing a loud bang at first, but it wasn’t until the second shot that the smoke appeared and Mr Abe immediately collapsed.

As spectators and reporters ducked out of the way, a man was tackled to the ground by security before he had a chance to flee the scene.

Who Was The Shooter?

The shooter has been identified as Tetsuya Yamagami, a 41-year-old resident of Nara, who served in the Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force from 2002 to 2005.

When questioned about his motives by the police, Tetsuya stated that he was dissatisfied with Abe and wanted to kill him.

Hence, he created a homemade pistol.

He doesn’t hold any grudges against the former Prime Minister in regard to his political beliefs though.

According to the local media, Mr Abe appeared to be in “cardiorespiratory arrest”, a term often used in Japan before a feared death can be officially confirmed by a coroner.

The former prime minister was swiftly conveyed to a hospital in Kashihara, Nara, by a medical hospital. He was carried out on a stretcher upon arrival and went into surgery immediately.

While he was being airlifted to the hospital, his breathing and heartbeat stopped.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida condemned the attack in the “strongest terms” and called it an “absolutely unforgivable act”.

He added that Mr Abe is currently in a “very grave condition”.

“I pray that former prime minister Abe will survive,” Mr Kishida said, before claiming that “everything that can be done is being done” to revive him.

However, later at 4:50pm, it was announced that he had passed on.

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The Aftermath

Since the attack takes place ahead of the Upper House elections, several parties have announced their senior members will stop campaigning.

Although election campaigning by major Japanese political parties have halted, voters are still scheduled to go to the polls in the Upper House’s election on Sunday.

A task force has been formed in the wake of this incident.

Gun Laws in Japan

Because of how strict gun laws are in Japan, the shooting came as a shock to the nation.

For civilians, acquiring weapons like rifles or shotguns for recreational sports or hunting requires intensive training and a thorough background check. Police are usually armed with handguns.

As a result, shootings are uncommon in Japan, though it’s not completely unheard of.

Last year, there were 10 reported gun incidents, which left one person dead and four wounded, according to the National Police Agency.

The last time a current or former Japanese prime minister was shot was 90 years ago. 

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Featured Image: YouTube (NHK)