Abe was shot at around 11:30 a.m. local time (4:30 a.m. CEST) on Friday during a speech at a campaign rally outside a train station in the western Japanese city of Nara. He spoke there ahead of Saturday’s election to the upper house of Japan’s parliament.
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The death was confirmed by doctors from the Narska Hospital in Kashihara, where the former prime minister was admitted at 12:20 local time. According to doctors, he died at 17:03 local time.
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The politician was hit in the left side of the chest and the right side of the neck, from which he was bleeding. According to doctors, he had two gunshot wounds to his neck. None of the bullets could be removed, but according to doctors, the wounds were so deep that they reached the heart.
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While being transported by helicopter to the hospital, the politician collapsed, his heart stopped and he was said to be in a state of clinical death. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida admitted he was in critical condition but expressed confidence he would recover.
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The shooter did not flee
The suspect, 41-year-old Tecuja Yamagami from Nara, was arrested at the scene. After the shot, he didn’t try to run away, he put the used weapon, apparently home-made, consisting of two pipes connected with tape, in the place from where he fired. He stood still and allowed himself to be restrained by Abe’s security.
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Yamagami was a member of the Navy from 2002 to 2005. His current occupation is unknown.
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He is now suspected of murder. According to some sources, he indicated that there was a political motive behind his act, he was dissatisfied with Abe, but according to others, “he did not feel a grudge against the former prime minister because of his politics.”
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