Shinzo Abe, the former prime minister of Japan, has been assassinated while delivering a public
speech.
The 67-year-old, who was Japan’s longest serving prime minister, was shot and killed while
campaigning on behalf of the governing Liberal Democratic Party near the City of Kyoto.
After the gunfire was heard, a man was tackled by several people and taken into police custody.
Abe was not campaigning for a parliamentary seat himself but supporting the Liberal
Democratic Party ahead of elections for the country’s parliament this Sunday (July 10).
Current Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said the attack was “a despicable and barbaric
act that took place in the midst of an election, which is the foundation of democracy.”
The incident has sent shock waves through Japan, a country where gun violence is rare.
Handguns are banned in the country and anyone who wants to own a rifle must undergo
extensive training and regulatory checks.
Abe resigned as Japan’s prime minister in August 2020 after serving two terms. The former
prime minister was known for his efforts to revive Japan’s economic growth through a range of
stimulus measures that became popularly known as “Abenomics.”
Abe tried to boost Japan’s productivity, reform the country’s corporate culture, and bring down
debt levels in the world’s third-largest economy.
