NARA -- A gun attack on former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe threw an ordinary election campaign rally, where many voters had gathered, into a scene of chaos filled with shouts and screams.
"Ambulance! Ambulance!" one person called out, while another shouted, "Medical workers, please come forward!"
After Abe, 67, was shot while making a street speech in Nara City during a campaign for the upcoming House of Councillors election, he collapsed on the street. A man with a shotgun was apprehended by police officers and others nearby.
The attack took place at about 11:30 a.m. -- a few minutes after Abe stood on the podium in front of Kintetsu Railway's Yamato-Saidaiji Station in the city and began introducing a candidate backed by the Liberal Democratic Party. A man wielding a gun approached Abe from behind, and a loud sound was heard.
According to a 26-year-old company employee in the city who was walking about 30 meters from the scene, several hundred people were gathered at the campaign site at the time. He said a gunshot sounded suddenly, and that he heard another one about three seconds later.
"I first thought a car had a blowout," the man said. "The surrounding area was noisy with car horns, but I could clearly hear the sound [of the gun]."
A Yomiuri Shimbun reporter was also on the scene, covering the campaign.
Tetsuya Yamagami, 41, was identified as the gunman. He was immediately restrained by police officers and others nearby. He did not try to resist.
An ambulance arrived about 15 minutes later, and Abe was taken to a hospital amid the chaos.
A man in his 40s, of Yamato-koriyama, Nara Prefecture, who was listening to Abe's speech, said, "A man suddenly came into the middle of the road, approached [Abe] and fired two shots with what appears to be a gun."
"It seems Abe collapsed with the second shot," he added.
A 26-year-old company employee from Mie Prefecture, who witnessed the attack up close, said: "Abe was motionless when he collapsed, and people of his team brought an AED and started giving him cardiac massage. I can't stop shaking."
A third-year high school student in Nara City, who was watching the campaign from the fourth floor of a building nearby, said she saw a man walking toward Abe. According to the student, it seemed Abe was not aware of the first shot, but he collapsed after the second shot.
"When people, who seemed to be nurses, gathered around and started doing cardiac massage on Abe, I saw blood on his chest. When I saw that, I got scared and started shaking," the student said.
Kishida condemns 'cowardly act'
A few hours before the death of Abe following the gun attack, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said: "[The attack] was a cowardly act conducted during a campaign period for an election, which is a foundation of democracy. It is totally unacceptable. I condemn the brutal act in the strongest possible terms."
Speaking at the Prime Minister's Office in Tokyo, Kishida told reporters that he intended to convene with all his ministers in Tokyo to determine the government's response to the incident.
Global reactions to attack
The attack on Abe was covered by media outlets around the world Friday, with reports appearing soon after the shooting on U.S. network ABC and the U.K.'s national broadcaster BBC, as well as wire services such as Reuters and Agence France-Presse.
The BBC noted that "gun violence is very rare in Japan" in its coverage of the attack.
The Financial Times said the shooting was "the most significant act of political violence to rock the country in half a century."
"Abe" was the top search term on China's Weibo social media platform. China's state-run Xinhua News Agency and South Korea's Yonhap News Agency reported the attack, citing Japanese media.
The White House released a statement Friday saying, "We are shocked and saddened to hear about the violent attack against former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. We are closely monitoring the reports and keeping our thoughts with his family and the people of Japan."
U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel also released a statement Friday, saying, "We are all saddened and shocked by the shooting of former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo. Abe-san has been an outstanding leader of Japan and unwavering ally of the United States."
Meanwhile, former U.S. President Donald Trump said the attack was "absolutely devastating news" in a social media post.
"He was a true friend of mine and, much more importantly, America. This is a tremendous blow to the wonderful people of Japan, who loved and admired him so much. We are all praying for Shinzo and his beautiful family!" Trump wrote.
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