Shinzo Abe, Japan’s former prime minister, has died in the hospital after being wounded at a campaign rally.
On Friday morning, Abe was fired at twice while delivering a speech in the Japanese city of Nara.
A 41-year-old suspect has been taken into custody after being confronted by security authorities at the site.
Police have identified the culprit as Tetsuya Yamagami, and he confessed to shooting Abe with a handmade pistol, saying he had a “particular organization” on his mind, according to reports.
Police officials revealed during a press conference that they had seized many more homemade weapons identical to those used in the assault during a search of the suspect’s home.
The cops discovered explosives in the house and warned the inhabitants to leave immediately.
Abe was targeted because he was linked to a particular organization, according to police, who are probing why the former prime minister was targeted above other members of the group.
Police said only that Mr Yamagami acknowledged to shooting the former prime minister when asked whether the gunman’s goal was to murder Abe.
Fumio Kishida, the prime minister, denounced the incident and said it “cannot be accepted.”
Prior to Abe’s death, Kishida claimed this incident was “a barbarism that transpired during the elections – the very core of our democracy – and is totally inexcusable.”
Doctors said Abe was shot twice in the neck during the incident, and he also suffered heart damage.
The 67-year-health old’s worsened despite reports that he was alert and responding immediately after the incident.
By the time the former prime minister was taken to the hospital, doctors had found no indications of life. At 5.03 p.m. local time, after receiving more than 100 units of blood through transfusion over the course of four hours, the doctors declared Abe dead (0803 GMT).
Eyewitnesses see man with large gun
When the assault occurred, Abe was making a rally for a political candidate at a traffic intersection in Nara, Japan’s southernmost city.
Witnesses said they saw a guy with a huge pistol shoot at the former prime minister from behind twice. As stunned onlookers yelled in horror, Abe collapsed to the ground.
In spite of the presence of Abe’s security team, it seems that the shooter had little difficulty approaching Mr. Abe within a few feet of him.
Mr Abe’s address was interrupted by a man who seemed to be the shooter’s accomplice.
Assailants were tackled and their weapons were confiscated by security officials who made no effort to escape.
A former member of Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Force, the country’s equivalent of a navy, has been identified by local media. In 2005, he is alleged to have stepped down from active duty.
For the Liberal Democratic Party, Abe’s address was a campaigning tool since upper house elections are scheduled for later this week in Japan.
Afterwards, it was claimed that the country’s ministers had been sent back to Tokyo.
“We want democracy, not violence” was trending on Japanese social media with many people expressing their anger and outrage at the occurrence.
