From ground zero: Abe collapsed after second shot, Witness

Nara(Japan), July 8 : A woman who was at the scene where former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot here on Friday during an election campaign rally, said Abe collapsed right after a second gunshot.

She said she saw a man approaching from behind Abe as the former prime minister was delivering his speech in support of a candidate to Sunday’s polls.

She said she didn’t see anyone fall down after the first shot, which she said was very loud, but Abe collapsed as soon as the second shot came.

She said many people gathered around Abe to give him emergency treatment such as cardiac massage.

The witness said the suspect remained on the spot without trying to flee, with his gun laid down, and he was caught by people who appeared to be security personnel.

The 67-year-old former prime minister remain critical without any vital signs as per last reports on Japanese media.

Police have arrested a 41-year-old man for attempted murder. He was identified as Yamagami Tetsuya, a former member of the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force, the police was quoted as saying by Japanese media NHK.

The gunman admitted he tried to kill Abe because he was ‘dissatisfied’ with him, said the police. “Suspect ‘intended to kill’ former PM Abe,” said the police.

There were two shots heard around 11.30 a.m., shortly after Abe began to speaking at the campaign rally. Police say that the former prime minister appears to have been shot around his chest and neck.

Investigative sources told NHK a gun seized at the scene appeared to be handmade.

Abe was in the city to support a candidate for Sunday’s Upper House election.

The local Liberal Democratic Party office says Abe’s appearance was decided on Thursday night and those details were later released to supporters.