At least two shots were heard around 11:30 a.m. Friday, hitting Abe in his chest and neck. Police arrested a suspect, a man from Nara in his 40s named Tetsuya Yamagami, and seized a gun. The weapon appeared to be homemade, police sources told local media. Yamagami was a member of the Japan Maritime Self Defense Forces for three years, defense officials told Japanese media.
Footage from the event showed Abe giving a speech, then a plume of smoke forming behind him as he collapsed. Officials ran to apprehend the shooter, who appeared to be positioned behind Abe. Videos showed a chaotic scene with Abe, unmoving, lying on the ground as attendees yelled for an ambulance.
Abe was admitted to the Nara Medical University Hospital. Local media, citing police sources, described Abe’s status as a “cardiopulmonary arrest,” a term often used in Japan before death is officially confirmed.
The shooting of Japan’s longest-serving leader sent shock waves throughout the country. Although he resigned as prime minister in 2020, Abe remains popular and influential and is a staple on the campaign trail, drawing audiences and attention across the nation to support candidates of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).
At an emotional news conference Friday, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Abe’s condition was critical. He declined to describe the motive of the shooter, saying there was not enough information to share.
“I pray from the bottom of the heart that he will survive this,” said Kishida, who appeared near tears. “This is a despicable and barbaric act that occurred in the midst of an election which is the foundation of democracy and absolutely cannot be tolerated. We condemn it in the harshest possible terms.”
No decision had been made about whether to change the election date, Kishida said. Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said cabinet members campaigning for this weekend’s polls have been asked to return to Tokyo.
Japanese media reported that the suspect had told police that he was frustrated with Abe and aimed at the former leader with the intent to kill him.
Abe oversaw a period of relative stability as prime minister from 2012 to 2020, raising Japan’s global image and emphasizing a strong alliance with the United States, even as former U.S. president Donald Trump tested long-standing relationships with allies.
Abe focused on reviving Japan’s stagnating economy through a package dubbed “Abenomics,” and sought to expand Japan’s military defenses. He tried to modify the country’s pacifist postwar constitution, which was controversial, and continued to push for Japan to increase its defensive capabilities, most recently suggesting Japan should discuss a nuclear “sharing” program similar to NATO members in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Previously, he led the country from 2006 to 2007 but stepped down because of chronic ulcerative colitis, the same condition that led to his resignation in 2020. Kishida, who was campaigning in Yamagata when the shooting occurred, canceled his campaign schedule Friday and headed back to Tokyo.
Foreign leaders expressed sympathies as they reacted with horror to the events in Nara.
In a statement, the White House said it was “shocked and saddened to hear about the violent attack” on Abe. “We are closely monitoring the reports and keeping our thoughts with his family and the people of Japan,” it said.
Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen said Abe was “not only my good friend, but also Taiwan’s most staunch friend.” British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he was “utterly appalled and saddened.” Indian leader Narendra Modi said he was “deeply distressed” by the attack.
The last time a Japanese politician was similarly attacked like Abe was in 1992, when LDP member and deputy prime minister Shin Kanemaru was attacked by a gunman, but was not injured.
Firearms are strictly regulated in Japan, and gun violence is most often associated with the yakuza, the Japanese criminal network. Last year, 14 of the 17 shootings in Japan were related to the yakuza, according to the National Police Agency.
Anyone trying to obtain a gun in Japan needs to apply for a permit, attend a class on gun safety and laws, and pass a written test. There is a full-day training course on safe shooting and practicing techniques. There are multiple rounds of checks and verification on the gun owner’s background and health, including information about their family, mental health, personal debt, and criminal record. The gun must be registered with and inspected by police.