[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot with a shotgun during a campaign rally supporting the House of Councillors election on the 8th and was transported to the hospital in a state of cardiopulmonary arrest. Foreign media such as AP News and CNN quickly reported this news. The foreign media are extensively covering the shocking incident that occurred in Japan, where gun use is prohibited.
Foreign media, citing Japanese sources, reported that former Prime Minister Abe was shot and collapsed during the election support rally and is currently being transported to the hospital in a state of cardiopulmonary arrest. The police arrested Tetsuya Yamagami (41), a resident of Nara City, on suspicion of attempted murder at the scene and seized the firearm he possessed.
AP stated, "This shooting incident is shocking as it occurred in Nara (Japan), one of the safest countries in the world with very strict legal regulations on firearms." BBC also reported, "Shooting incidents are rare in Japan, where handguns are banned, and political violence itself is almost unprecedented." CNN said, "Due to extremely strict gun control, the rate of gun accidents is very low in Japan, making this incident shocking."
Bloomberg News reported, "Gun incidents and assassination attempts are rare in Japan, but former Prime Minister Abe would have been somewhat aware of the risks related to this," mentioning that his maternal grandfather, former Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi, was nearly assassinated in 1960, when he was stabbed multiple times in the thigh outside the official residence.
The news of former Prime Minister Abe's shooting is also being prominently covered in Russia, Australia, the Middle East, and other regions.
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