Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe collapsed during an election campaign and was taken to hospital. It was reported that gunshots were heard at the scene.
NHK reported on the 8th that former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe collapsed while campaigning for the House of Representatives election in Nara City, Nara Prefecture, Japan around 11:30 am on the same day.
According to the report, a reporter from NHK who was covering the scene said that he heard a sound like a gunshot twice, and that former Prime Minister Abe collapsed with blood.
NHK said, citing police and fire authorities, that “Ex-Prime Minister Abe was conscious when he was taken to an ambulance, but he is believed to be in cardiac arrest.”
He added that Abe will once once more be transferred from the current hospital to the Nara Prefectural Medical University Hospital in Kashihara City by helicopter.
Police arrested a man in his 40s, believed to be the suspect, at the scene and also confiscated a gun. Police officials said the suspect appeared to have fired a shotgun from behind Abe.
Currently, a number of photos and videos of the scene are being uploaded through Twitter. There are images of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe lying bleeding near his chest and a man suspected of being a suspect being arrested and subdued.
One witness told NHK, “At first I thought it was a flame,” and regarding the size of the gun the suspect was holding, “it was quite large.” He went on to say, “He was being caught by security. I was really surprised.”
Kim Soo-young, reporter at Hankyung.com swimming@hankyung.com
