Shinzo Abe is in “very serious condition” after suffering a gun attack, says Japan’s prime minister

Prime Minister of Japan Fumio Kishida, today condemned the attack on the former president Shinzo Abe and confirmed that he is in “serious condition” and that the reason for it is still unknown.

“It is not yet known what is behind this incident, but this is a barbaric act at a time of elections, which are the basis of democracy for which we can never ever forgive him and we condemn him with the greatest possible force,” said the visibly moved prime minister.

In person made these statements to the media after Abe was shot in the back while giving a campaign speech on the street in the city of Nara (west), according to the local police, who have arrested Tetsuya Yamagami a former member of the Maritime Self-Defense Forces (Japanese Army) as the alleged aggressor.

The Japanese chief executive He pointed out that it is still early to know what the political influence of the event will be, although the Government “is prepared for any result.”

Kishida interrupted his election campaign events to return to Tokyo and he also urged the rest of his ministers to do the same in order to stay informed about the situation and take the appropriate measures.

Abe was shot in the back while giving a campaign speech on the street near a train station in Nara city. (west), according to local police, who have arrested Yamagami as the alleged perpetrator of the attack, carried out with a homemade weapon similar to a shotgun.

The conservative leader was today at a campaign event for the by-elections to the Upper House of the Diet (Parliament of Japan) to be held this Sunday, in which the Liberal Democratic Party (PLD) of Abe and the current prime minister, In person hopes to revalidate its vast majority.

Election rallies are usually held in Japan in the middle of the street and with few security measures due to the low rate of crime and attacks with firearms typical of the Asian country.