Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi, July 8: Shinzo Abe, former Japanese prime minister, was shot in the chest on Friday during a political event. The incident shocked a country where gun violence is uncommon, leaving Abe unconscious and unresponsive.
According to a representative of his ruling Liberal Democratic Party, Abe (67) was shot twice from behind while running for office in the western city of Nara. A local guy in his 40s was detained by police, according to Kyodo News.
According to local firemen quoted by Kyodo News, Abe was taken to a hospital right away and may have experienced a heart attack.
Fumio Kishida, the prime minister, and other cabinet members decided against running for office and returned to Tokyo. The incident may or may not affect the timetable of the election, which the LDP was predicted to easily win. Voting had already begun early.
NHK published two recordings that appeared to show gun smoke rising from behind Abe as he spoke and a security guard tackling a man on the street shortly after.
