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Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was rushed to a hospital bleeding after collapsing while giving a speech on a street in Nara in western Japan Friday, Japanese media reported.
Abe was unconscious and appeared to be in cardiac arrest, according to Japanese media outlet Kyodo News.
He appeared to have no vital signs, local fire officials said, NHK reported.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe speaks to reporters at his official residence in Tokyo Monday, Aug. 24, 2020. Prime Minister Abe on Monday became Japan's longest-serving leader in terms of consecutive days in office, but there was little fanfare, as he visited a hospital for another health checkup amid concerns about his health.(Kyodo News via AP)
At the time Abe collapsed, a sound like a gunshot was heard, NHK reported.
This aerial photo shows the scene of gunshots in Nara, western Japan Friday, July 8, 2022. Japan’s former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was in heart failure after apparently being shot during a campaign speech Friday in western Japan, NHK public television said Friday. (Kyodo News via AP)(Kyodo News via AP)
He was making a campaign speech ahead of Sunday’s election for the parliament's upper house.
A male suspect was detained at the scene and a gun was confiscated, according to NHK.
Some of the candidates have reportedly canceled street speeches after reports of the shooting, Kyodo News reported.
Japan's Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe attends the lower house plenary session of parliament to elect the prime minister of Japan, in Tokyo on November 10, 2021. (Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP) (Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images)
This is a breaking story. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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