BREAKING: Ex Japanese PM Abe Dead, Suspected Assassin Arrested | READ DETAILS

Japan’s former Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe have been confirmed dead from a gun injury he sustained at a campaign event on Friday, in the country’s western region of Nara, according to Arise TV.

The 67-year-old was shot while campaigning ahead of upper house elections on Sunday.

AFP quoted Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno, as saying that;

“Former prime minister Abe was shot at around 11:30 am.

“One man, believed to be the shooter, has been taken into custody.

“Whatever the reason, such a barbaric act can never be tolerated, and we strongly condemn it.”

 

Abe, had been delivering a stump speech with security present, but spectators were able to approach him fairly easily.

 

Footage broadcast by the NHK showed him standing on a stage when a loud blast was heard with smoke visible in the air.

 

As spectators and reporters ducked, a man was shown being tackled to the ground by security.

 

Local media identified the man as 41-year-old Tetsuya Yamagami, citing police sources, with several media outlets describing him as a former member of the Maritime Self-Defense Force, the country’s navy.

 

Witnesses at the scene described shock as the political event turned into chaos.

 

“He was giving a speech and a man came from behind,” a young woman told NHK.

 

“The first shot sounded like a toy bazooka. He didn’t fall and there was a large bang. The second shot was more visible, you could see the spark and smoke,” she added.

 

“After the second shot, people surrounded him and gave him cardiac massage.”

 

Abe was bleeding from the neck, witnesses said and photographs showed. He was reportedly initially responsive but subsequently lost consciousness.

 

Officials from the local chapter of Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party said there had been no threats before the incident and that his speech had been announced publicly.