FORMER prime minister of Japan Shinzo Abe died Friday morning after he was shot while giving a campaign speech in the city of Nara.
A lone gunman reportedly attacked Abe, 67, hours to the Upper House elections scheduled to hold on July 10 and he was pronounced dead at a hospital in Nara from wounds in his chest and neck.
The tragedy has sent shockwaves throughout a country unaccustomed to gun violence.
Reacting to news of Abe’s assassination, France President Emmanuel Macron sent condolences to Japan, tweeting: “On behalf of the French people, I send my condolences to the Japanese authorities and people after the assassination of Shinzo Abe. Japan has lost a great prime minister, who dedicated his life to his country and worked to bring balance to the world.”
Former United States (US) President Donald Trump, in a post on his own social media platform, said Shinzo Abe’s death was “really bad news for the world”.
Trump added: “He was assassinated. His killer was captured and will hopefully be dealt with swiftly and harshly. Few people know what a great man and leader Shinzo Abe was, but history will teach them and be kind.
“He was a unifier like no other, but above all, he was a man who loved and cherished his magnificent country, Japan. Shinzo Abe will be greatly missed. There will never be another like him.”
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called the assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Friday “shocking” and “profoundly disturbing,” describing him as a leader of great vision and an extraordinary partner for the United States.
Similarly, India’s President Rashtrapati Bhavan said: “I find it difficult to believe that Shinzo Abe is no more. He was a great statesman, and his infectious affability endeared him the world over.
“That he fell prey to an assassin’s bullet is a tragedy for the whole humanity. My heartfelt condolences to his family and people of Japan.”
The former Japanese prime minister served in the office longer than anyone before stepping down in 2020, but continued to maintain immense influence in the country.
He led the largest faction in the Liberal Democratic Party, and many speculated he could have taken another run at the premiership.