Live Updates: Japan’s former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe shot during speech in Nara

Former Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.Pool/Getty Images

Photos and videos show chaos on the scene following the attack

Former Japan PM Shinzo AbePhoto by KAZUHIRO NOGI/AFP via Getty Images

Photos and videos circulating on Twitter captured the chaotic scene that unfolded after former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot during a campaign trail speech on Friday.

He had been campaigning for Sunday’s upper house election in the city of Nara in western Japan.

A Twitter video using footage from Japanese public broadcaster NHK depicted what appears to be the moment Abe was shot.

In the video, Abe can be seen giving a speech before two loud gunshots ring out. Within seconds, officials can be seen tackling a man in a grey shirt to the ground. The video then zooms in on what appears to be two cylinders wrapped in black tape on the ground.

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Doctors are working ‘very hard’ to save Abe, current prime minister says

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio KishidaBehrouz Mehri, Pool/Getty Images

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said that doctors are working “very hard” to save former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s life after the latter was shot in Nara city on Friday.

During a press conference, a visibly distraught Kishida said Abe was in “critical condition” and that he was praying for the former leader’s survival.

“I would like to use the most extreme words available to condemn this act,” Kishida added, describing the shooting as “barbaric.”

He said that all Japanese Cabinet members who were on the campaign trail ahead of Sunday’s Upper House elections have been told to Tokyo.

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Political leaders from around the world shocked by the shooting, share reactions

Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo AbePhoto by Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty Images

Current and past political leaders from around the world have reacted with shock to the news of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s shooting on Friday.

US Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel said he was “saddened” by the shooting and praised Abe for being “an unwavering ally” of the US.

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Meanwhile, Israeli Ambassador to Japan Gilad Cohen expressed his concern for Abe and commemorated the latter’s commitment to building diplomacy between their nations.

“One of Japan’s leading leaders, Abe, was the driving force behind the building of today’s friendly relations between Israel and Japan, and the strong bond between the two countries would not have been possible without his presence,” Cohen tweeted.

Former President Donald Trump also shared his thoughts on the incident, describing Abe as a “truly great man and leader.”

“He was a true friend of mine and, much more importantly, America. This is a tremendous blow to the wonderful people of Japan, who loved and admired him so much,” said Trump in a post on his Truth Social platform.

Insider took at some of the reactions from leaders worldwide to the incident.

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Footage from scene shows security officers tackling man to the ground

Footage from NHK News showed security officers at the scene of Friday’s shooting tackling a man to the ground.

In the clip, two loud bangs can be heard before the officers are seen apprehending a man dressed in brown pants and a t-shirt. A zoomed-in shot also shows what appears to be a device comprised of two pipes wrapped in black tape lying on the road.

According to local reports, a 41-year-old man was arrested at the scene over the incident.

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Authorities say Abe suffered a gunshot wound to his neck and has bleeding in his chest

Former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe.Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty Images

Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe suffered a gunshot wound to the right side of his neck during Friday’s attack, Kyodo News reported, citing information from Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.

Abe, who was airlifted to a hospital in Nara, also has “subcutaneous bleeding in his left chest,” per the outlet.

The former Japanese leader was shot on Friday while delivering a speech in Nara. Authorities have arrested a 41-year-old man in connection with the incident.

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Video shows Abe being airlifted to a hospital in Nara

A video tweeted by Bloomberg following the shooting of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Friday showed medical personnel transporting him to a hospital in Nara via helicopter.

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Former Japanese PM Shinzo Abe shot

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe speaks during his press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo on August 28, 2020.Frank Robichon/Pool/AFP/Getty Images

Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe collapsed while making a speech in the city of Nara, around one hour from Kyoto, according to local media reports.

Japanese news outlet NHK reported that Abe was seen falling to the ground bleeding at around 11.30 a.m. local time. NHK reported that its reporter heard a gunshot going off in the vicinity while Abe was speaking.

The former prime minister appeared to be showing no vital signs after the attack, Kyodo News reported, citing information from the Japanese authorities.

NHK shared what appeared to be a video of the scene, which showed chaos and smoke, and what looked to be people surrounding a prone Abe.

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