Japan in shock after Shinzo Abe murder, shooter confesses
An employee distributes extra editions of the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper which reports that former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot dead, Friday, July 8, 2022, in Tokyo.
AP - Eugene Hoshiko
Text by: RFI Follow
2 mins
In Japan, the emotion has been enormous since the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe this Friday morning July 8 by an unknown person, arrested, who opened fire on him in the middle of a political meeting, in a provincial town.
Shinzo Abe had led the Japanese government for almost eight years, until 2020.
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The former Prime Minister was in a desperate state.
Shinzo Abe was in cardiopulmonary arrest for more than seven hours.
The doctors did their best to revive him, but it would have taken a miracle for him to survive, says our correspondent in Tokyo,
Bruno Duval
.
The arrested shooter
The shooter confessed.
Tetsuya Yamagami is a resident of Nara, the city where the drama took place;
he is 41 years old.
He is a former soldier: in the early 2000s, he served for three years in the Japanese navy.
His words are quite confusing.
He told investigators that he did not like Shinzo Abe's profile and ideas, but he said he did not harbor any "
particular political grudge
" against him.
Tetsuya Yamagami, arrested after the tragedy in Nara, western Japan, Friday July 8, 2022. AP - Katsuhiko Hirano
► To read also: Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe died after being attacked with a firearm
The country in shock
The Japanese flock to the special editions that most daily newspapers have printed.
All television channels have changed their programs.
In the political class, it is astonishment.
The campaign for the senatorial elections which are scheduled for Sunday has been suspended.
And as a security measure, Prime Minister
Fumio Kishida
has canceled the public speeches he had planned for today and this weekend in view of this election.
He is now under close protection.
“
I was praying for his life to be saved, but despite that, I heard the news (of his death).
It's really unfortunate.
I can't find words.
I offer my sincere condolences and pray that his soul rests in peace
, ”he said, very moved, to journalists.
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Japan: Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe dies after being attacked with a gun