The former Japanese prime minister was being filmed when a gunman opened fire at him during a rally
Shinzo Abe, Former Prime minister of Japan, was shot. ©David Mareuil / Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
Former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe was being filmed from numerous angles when a gunman fired at him on Friday. Footage of the incident was broadcast by the country’s media.
In one video clip, two loud gunshots can be heard in the background as Abe is shown.
The cameraman was obviously startled by the sounds and briefly moved the camera away before filming guards as they tackled the gunman to the ground.
Another video filmed from a distance showed smoke clouds emerging after the shots were fired.
Shocking and saddened by the terror attack on former Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe at Nara . pic.twitter.com/JxvDJijn4F
— New Europe Observation (@new_observation) July 8, 2022
The apparent attempt on Abe’s life happened as he addressed voters in the city of Nara ahead of a parliamentary election. He was gravely injured and later died in hospital, Japanese media reported.
The gunman was identified by police as a 41-year-old resident of the city. NHK reported that the suspect had served in the Maritime Self-Defense Force for three years in the 2000s.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said doctors were working to save Abe’s life. He denounced the attack as unacceptable in a democratic society.
