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Japan's former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has died following a fatal gunshot from an assailant, public broadcaster NHK confirmed on Friday, July 8.

The 67-year-old Japanese leader was delivering a parliamentary election speech near a train station in Nara, Japan when an unknown individual shot him, reportedly twice, one hitting him in the chest.

Current Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida condemned the attack and made a brief statement prior to the announcement of Abe's death.

"This attack is an act of brutality that happened during the elections - the very foundation of our democracy - and is absolutely unforgivable," said Kishida in a report from Reuters.

A suspect has been identified and captured by the authorities.

Abe was brought to the hospital for treatment and received blood transfusions but was announced dead hours later.

Reuters reported that senior Japanese politicians are accompanied by armed security agents during public events but often get close in proximity to civilians, especially during political campaigns when they make roadside speeches.

Shinzo Abe was served as prime minister of Japan and president of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) from 2006 to 2007 and again from 2012 to 2020. He was the longest-serving prime minister in Japanese history. He stepped down from his position in 2020 for health reasons. Ties between the Philippines and Japan flourished during his era, with a "strategic partnership" established in 2009.

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