Today is a sad day for Japan. The former Japanese Prime Minister, Abe Shinzo, was shot and killed at a Friday campaign event. Luckily, the one holding the gun was caught and arrested at the scene. The attack happened in Nara, near Kyoto, west Japan. Sources stated that the police retrieved a weapon at the scene that could have been homemade.
Police are holding Yamagami Tetsuya as the prime suspect. The 41-year-old man served with the Maritime Self-Defense Force for three years.
According to NHK, the doctor who treated Shinzo “spent more than twenty-four hours fighting to save him. Doctor Fukushima Hidetada of Nara Medical University said: We tried to resuscitate him but, unfortunately, he died at 5:03 p.m."
Abe Shinzo has been a very relevant figure in Japanese politics. He served twice as Japan's prime minister, and his family's political history also can be traced back for decades. As deputy chief cabinet secretary, he visited North Korea with Japan's then-prime minister.
Shinzo first became leader in 2006 at 52, making him Japan's youngest post-war prime minister. About a year later, the Liberal Democratic Party lost an Upper House election, and Abe resigned due to health issues (but has remained an influential figure within the LDP). As a result, he also became Japan's longest-serving prime minister.
He stepped down in 2020 due to health issues but has remained a significant figure in Japan. He became known for his "Abenomics" policy which looked to revitalize the country's economy.
Rest in peace, Abe.
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