The
widow of the assassinated former leader was seen in the car leaving
the Nara Medical University Hospital in Nara prefecture on Saturday
morning. Akie Abe is traveling with her husband’s body back to Tokyo,
where the family resides, according to public broadcaster, NHK.
Here's what you need to know:
The shooting: Abe
was shot at about 11:30 a.m. local time Friday in Nara, east of Osaka,
as he gave an election campaign speech on the street. Video aired by public broadcaster NHK captured
the moments before the shooting, showing Abe speaking to a small crowd
in front of Yamatosaidaiji railway station. In subsequent videos, two
shots can be heard and smoke can be seen in the air.
Rushed to the hospital: Abe
was rushed to hospital via helicopter at 12:20 p.m. local time. He went
into cardiopulmonary arrest — a term used to describe the sudden loss
of heart function and breathing — at the site of the shooting and
arrived at hospital in a state of cardiac arrest, according to doctors
at Nara Medical University. During surgery, doctors discovered a gunshot
wound to his neck and a large wound on his heart.
Confirmed dead: Abe
died from excessive bleeding and was pronounced dead at 5:03 p.m. local
time, doctors at the Nara Medical University hospital said. The doctors
said the bullet that killed the former Japanese leader was "deep enough
to reach his heart" and a team of 20 medical professionals were unable
to stop the bleeding.
The suspect: Police arrested unemployed man Tetsuya Yamagami, 41, who admitted to shooting Abe.
According to police, Yamagami said he holds hatred toward a certain
group, which he thought Abe was linked to. He used a homemade gun in the
shooting, and authorities confiscated several handmade pistol-like
items from his apartment, police said. Yamagami is being investigated as
a suspect in a murder case, to which 90 investigators have been
assigned, the police added.
World leaders horrified:
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida paid his "deepest condolences" to
former leader Abe, saying he "was a personal friend, with whom (he)
spent a lot of time." Kishida said he had a "great respect for the
legacy (Abe) left behind" and would continue election campaigning on
Saturday, adding a free and fair election must be defended at all costs.
News of the shooting and Abe's subsequent death horrified leaders
around the world, many of whom had worked with Abe during his long tenure. US President Joe Biden said he was "stunned, outraged, and deeply saddened," adding he had worked closely with Abe and his killing was "a tragedy for Japan and all who knew him."
Shootings are extremely rare in Japan because of strict gun ownership laws: In 2018, Japan, a country of 125 million people, only reported nine deaths from firearms — compared with 39,740 that year in the United States. Under Japan's firearms laws,
the only guns permitted for sale are shotguns and air rifles — handguns
are outlawed. But getting them is a long and complicated process that
requires strenuous effort — and lots of patience. The laws and the
thorough process of background checks have kept the number of private
gun owners in Japan extremely low.
