Shinzo Abe, Japan’s longest-serving prime minister, died on Friday after being shot

Kathmandu: Former Japanese leader Shinzo Abe has died after being shot at a campaign event in western Japan.

He became Japan’s youngest prime minister in 2006 at age 52. He was re-elected in 2012 and was the nation’s longest-serving leader before stepping down in 2020.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said the shooting of his predecessor Shinzo Abe is absolutely unforgivable. He condemned the shooting as a barbaric and malicious act and said, that it cannot be tolerated. Mr Kishida was speaking to reporters at his official residence in Tokyo after rushing back to the capital from Yamagata, where he had been campaigning.

Japanese Official media reports that two shots were heard. NHK reports that Police have arrested a man, named Yamagami Tetsuya for attempted murder. It was also reported that a gun seized at the scene appeared to be handmade. The 41-year-old suspect lives in Nara city where the shooting took place.

Mr. Abe was in the city to support a candidate in this weekend’s Upper House Election. The local Liberal Democratic Party officials said, Abe’s appearance was decided on Thursday night and those details were later released to supporters.