The Nara Medical University Hospital, where Abe was taken for medical treatment after the shooting, confirmed his death Friday evening local time.The 67-year-old former prime minister was shot while campaigning on behalf of the governing Liberal Democratic Party in the city of Nara, near Kyoto.Gunshots were heard at around 11.30 a.m.
local time, NBC reported, and Abe was taken to Nara Medical University Hospital's emergency room.When he was brought to the hospital he was in a state of cardiopulmonary arrest,& Dr Hidetada Fukushima, who operated on Abe, said at a press conference.
&They tried to resuscitate him but at 17:03 he was pronounced dead.& He had gun wounds in two locations and died of heart failure from heavily damaged arteries,& the doctor added.One person had been apprehended in relation to the shooting, NBC reported, citing officials.Abe was not campaigning for a parliamentary seat himself, but was supporting the LDP ahead of elections for the country's upper house of parliament Sunday.
It is not clear whether the elections will go ahead as planned.Current 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,& adding that it was still being investigated.The incident has sent shockwaves through Japan, a country where gun violence is extremely rare.
Gun rules are very strict in the country; handguns are banned and anyone who wants to own an air rifle or shotgun must undergo extensive training and checks.The post Shinzo Abe dies in hospital after being shot first appeared on Ariana News.