[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyeon-jin] 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. Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel called it a "very sad moment" and wished for Abe's safety.
According to CNN and other outlets, Secretary Blinken made these remarks to reporters before meeting with Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi at the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting held in Bali, Indonesia, on the same day.
Secretary Blinken said, "Before we meet, I want to first say that we heard the news about the attempted attack on former Prime Minister Abe in Japan, and we are very saddened and concerned." He added, "We do not know his condition. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and the Japanese people. This is a very, very sad moment, and we will await further news."
Ambassador Emanuel tweeted shortly after the incident, saying, "We are all very saddened and shocked by the shooting of former Prime Minister Abe." Using the Japanese honorific 'san,' he referred to him as "Abe-san," emphasizing, "Abe-san was an outstanding Japanese leader and an unwavering ally of the United States." He added, "The U.S. government and the American people are praying for the safety of Abe-san, his family, and the Japanese people."
Bill Hagerty, U.S. Senator from Tennessee and former U.S. Ambassador to Japan from 2017 to 2019, also posted on his Twitter, linking to an article about Abe's situation, writing, "Praying for my friend Shinzo Abe. Monitoring the situation closely."
Earlier, around 11:30 a.m. on the same day, former Prime Minister Abe collapsed bleeding while conducting a street campaign rally in Nara City, Nara Prefecture, ahead of the House of Councillors election. NHK reported that two sounds resembling gunshots were heard, and Abe collapsed bleeding from the chest area.
Police officials stated that Abe appeared to have been shot from behind with a shotgun. He was urgently transported to the hospital, and fire authorities explained that he was in a state of cardiopulmonary arrest. Initially, while being transported by ambulance, Abe was conscious and responded to calls, but later lost consciousness and entered cardiopulmonary arrest.
Police arrested a man at the scene and are investigating him on suspicion of attempted murder. The gun the man possessed was also confiscated. Japanese media, including Kyodo News, reported that the suspect who shot former Prime Minister Abe is a former member of the Self-Defense Forces.
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