Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was on Friday confirmed dead after he was shot at during a campaign speech in Nara City, western Japan, local media reported citing officials.
'Officials say former Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo has been confirmed dead. He was reportedly shot during a speech on Friday in the city of Nara, near Kyoto,' Japanese media outlet NHK tweeted on its official Twitter handle.
Liberal Democratic Party sources also confirmed the same, Kyoto news agency reported.
Abe, Japan's longest-serving prime minister, had stepped down in 2020 citing health reasons.
He was the prime minister of Japan twice, from 2006-07 and again from 2012-20.
He was succeeded by Yoshihide Suga and later by Fumio Kishida.
Earlier on Friday, Abe, 67, was rushed to hospital after he was shot in the chest from behind by a 41-year-old gunman, while delivering a speech in the western Japanese city of Nara at 11.30 am (local time).
He was campaigning for Sunday's elections for Japan's upper house of Parliament.
Soon after the attack, Japanese prime minister Fumio Kishida, in his live address to the country, said that Abe's condition was grave.
"This is not a forgivable act," Kishida said adding that authorities would 'take appropriate measures to handle the situation'.
Kishida further said that the motive behind Abe's shooting is not known.
Japanese media outlets cited government sources to report that the suspected attacker is a former member of Japan's Self-Defence Forces.
The Japanese PM also requested everyone to not speculate about any political ramifications at the time.
