Shinzo Abe passes away: Shooter shot twice, was 'dissatisfied' with leader

Tetsuya Yamagami, 41, is believed to have served in the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force. He was estimated to be 10 feet behind Shinzo Abe when he shot at him. He was carrying a "handmade pistol," according to local media, and he informed police after his arrest that he "targeted Abe with the goal of murdering him." 

Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe passed away today after being shot while campaigning in Nara. The alleged shooter was apprehended shortly after. Officials claim explosives were discovered at his home. He was subsequently taken to a hospital, but he was not breathing and his heart had stopped. 

Tetsuya Yamagami, 41, is believed to have served in the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force. He was estimated to be 10 feet behind Shinzo Abe when he shot at him. He was carrying a "handmade pistol," according to local media, and he informed police after his arrest that he "targeted Abe with the goal of murdering him." According to reports, he used a shotgun. He is facing attempted murder charges. According to local media and police sources, the individual who attacked Abe was "dissatisfied" with him and intended to murder him.

Abe was photographed lying face-up on the street near a guardrail, blood on his white shirt. People were crowding around him, with one giving him a heart massage. At least two bullets appear to have been fired, each of which produced a cloud of smoke. He was observed being tackled to the ground by security while onlookers and media ducked.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida condemned the shooting in the "strongest terms," while the Japanese people and international leaders voiced outrage at the murder attempt in a country where political violence is uncommon and firearms are strictly regulated. 

Abe was Japan's longest-lasting prime minister, serving two terms before stepping down in 2020 due to bad health. He has, nevertheless, remained a strong figure in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), commanding one of its key groups.

Japan has among of the strictest gun-control regulations in the world, and yearly firearm fatalities in the country of 125 million people are often in the single digits. Even for Japanese nationals, obtaining a gun licence is a lengthy and difficult procedure that requires a recommendation from a shooting group and extensive police inspections.