Thread by @greghill

NHK reporting that former PM of Japan Shinzo Abe has been shot in the city of Nara. His condition is currently unknown, but there are reports the shooter is in custody. www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/

Abe reportedly showing no vital signs after being shot from behind with a shotgun during a speech.

https://twitter.com/yumi_asada/status/1545242468291325956?s=20&t=TwJyA-oOWQFe--SgDyKr6w

NHK have posted saying that the former PM is in "cardiopulmonary arrest" (心肺停止), which is normally how Japanese media report that someone has died. www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/2022…

The suspected shooter was apprehended by police and taken into custody at the scene. Abe was rushed to hospital but NHK have reported he has no vital signs.

Asahi Shimbun have published a particularly graphic image showing Shinzo Abe on the ground after being shot with blood visible on his shirt. Have removed preview, but the picture is viewable via the link: asahi.com/articles/photo…

The first video of the shooting has also emerged and been broadcast on Japanese TV. It shows Shinzo Abe speaking before a plume of smoke erupts from behind him. The video has been edited to remove the part where Abe falls to the ground.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1545247944562974721

Local media have named the assailant as Yamagami Tetsuya (山上徹也), a man in his 40s. The weapon used was reportedly a sawed-off shotgun, a legally acquirable weapon here in Japan. #安倍晋三

Mainichi reports that a Japanese government spokesperson has said Shinzo Abe’s condition is yet to be confirmed. NHK reported that his heart had stopped though resuscitation attempt were being made at the scene. #安倍晋三 mainichi.jp/english/articl…

Same report says PM Fumio Kishida has cut short a campaign trail trip to Yamagata Prefecture and will return to Tokyo. He has asked all other cabinet ministers to convene in the capital following the news of the shooting. #安倍晋三

A video of the assassination attempt on Shinzo Abe has been circulated on social media. Two shots can be heard before the recording ceases. #安倍晋三

Warning: while not graphic, some people may find the video disturbing

Hard to overstate the rarity of this sort of gun violence in Japan. National Police Agency figures show that the number of people killed by gun attacks rarely ever exceeds 10 in any given year, thanks to Japan’s ultra-strict gun control policies. #安倍晋三

NHK confirms that Shinzo Abe has now died after being shot earlier today during a speech. Awful. #安倍晋三 www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/2022…

Abe is the first politician to be assassinated in Japan in 62 years. The leader of the Japan Socialist Party, Inejirō Asanuma, was attacked with a wakizashi blade during a televised debate in 1960. #安倍晋三 theguardian.com/world/2016/oct…