Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot by a gunman at a campaign rally in Kashihara, Nara Prefecture. He was transferred to a hospital, where he died shortly after. He was 67 years old. The gunman was apprehended by the police. At the time of the shooting, Abe was delivering a campaign speech in support of Kei Sato, who is running for the House of Councillors election, which is set for July 10.
Manga artist Ken Akamatsu, who is a candidate for the election from the Liberal Democratic Party that Abe belonged to, expressed his condolences to the family and those involved.
“I’m speechless about the passing of Former Prime Minister Abe. For whatever reason, such an act can never be acceptable, and I’m feeling angry. What I can do now is to continue delivering my own thoughts through words. I send my sincere condolences to his family and those involved.“
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida of the same party also condemned the violent attack:
“Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe passed away. I was praying for his life to be saved, but my prayers were in vain and I had to hear the passing, I’m truly saddened and speechless. I pray that he may rest in peace.
Such a despicable act during an election, a bedrock of democracy, can by no means be acceptable, and I condemn it in the strongest term.“
Shinzo Abe was born in 1954 and is currently the longest-serving Japanese prime minister in the history of the country. He was known for his conservative politics and economic reforms, nickname “Abenomics.” He stepped down from the office due to health issues in 2020.
Source: The Liberal Democratic Party of Japan
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