Shinzo Abe shooting: What we know so far

Shinzo Abe, the longest-serving Prime Minister of Japan, was fatally shot on Friday in the city of Nara. He was rushed to a hospital, where he was being treated.

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Here is what we know so far about the attack on Shinzo Abe:

-He was shot around 11:30 AM on Friday while attending a political event for an upcoming election. In a video shared by the Japanese news agency NHK, two gunshots can be heard. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications of Japan, former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot on the right side of his neck.

-Nobuo Kishi, who is Shinzo Abe’s younger brother and Japan’s defence minister, said that the former Prime Minister was “receiving sensible treatment, including a blood transfusion”, according to CNN. Shinzo Abe’s wife had also reportedly arrived at Nara Medical University, where he was pronounced dead.

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-Media reports citing law enforcement officials say that Tetsuya Yamagami has been identified as a suspect and has been arrested by the police. He is reportedly a resident of Nara and is in his 40s. NHK news agency reported that he appeared to use a handmade gun and is being questioned at the Nara Nishi police station. NHK reported that the suspect served in the Maritime Self-Defense Force for three years in the 2000s.

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-Japanese authorities, and world leaders, have jointly condemned the incident. Prime Minister Kishida called the attempt on Abe’s life “barbaric and malicious”. He added that the crime occurring during the election campaign, which is the foundation of democracy, was absolutely unforgivable.

-The global outcry against the shooting has also been massive. World leaders like Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, New Zealand’s Jacinda Ardern and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese were quick to condemn the situation on social media platforms.

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-Kishida and his cabinet ministers hastily returned to Tokyo from other campaign events around the country. “I’m praying for former prime minister Abe’s survival from the bottom of my heart,” Kishida said at the prime minister’s office, hours before Abe was pronounced dead.