Shockingly Bloody Photo of Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe Right After Being Shot at During Election Campaign

A man lying on his back on the street, with a staff member performing CPR on him, but his face is completely blue. A blood stain can be seen on the chest of his white shirt.

Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, 67, was shot from behind at around 11:30 a.m. on July 8 in front of the north exit of Yamato Saidaiji Station on the Kintetsu Line in Nara City, Nara Prefecture, during a speech in support of an LDP candidate in the House of Councillors election.

He was shot in the back with a shotgun, “‘Bang!Bang!” The first shot sent up a large plume of smoke, and the second shot hit former Prime Minister Abe in the back and chest area. He fell to the ground immediately. A staff member immediately called 119 and a big commotion at the scene follows.

Minutes after the shooting, Mr. Abe was transported to Nara Medical University Hospital by a helicopter. Immediately after the shooting, he was still conscious and was able to answer some questions, but later he became unconscious. He is said to be in a state of cardiopulmonary arrest (as of 2 p.m. on July 8).

The man who shot Prime Minister Abe was Tetsuya Yamagami, 41, a resident of Nara Prefecture. Some sources say he is a former member of the Maritime Self-Defense Force. According to eyewitnesses, the suspect did not flee after the shooting and slumped down on the spot as if he was weak. SP immediately seized him and took him into custody. He was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder. The gun used in the crime was hand-made.

Immediately after the incident, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno made the following statement.

“I firmly condemn such a barbaric act for any reason. I firmly condemn it.”

This is an unprecedented incident in which a former prime minister was shot during an election campaign. Police are investigating the suspect’s background and motive for the crime in detail.