Japanese media reported early Thursday that former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was bleeding from the neck and unconscious when paramedics took him after he was shot during a speech in the city of Nara in the west of the country.

It added that Abe was shot twice, one of which lodged in his chest, and he fell to the ground.

The Japanese Broadcasting Corporation quoted the police as saying that the shooting of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was carried out with a rifle from behind.

On the other hand, Japanese media reported that former Prime Minister Abe was bleeding from his neck after being shot and was unconscious.

The Japanese Broadcasting Corporation, also known as "NHK," stated that former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was taken to the hospital following a possible shooting.

 
It is worth noting that Shinzo Abe resigned from his position for health reasons related to ulcerative colitis in 2020, explaining in a press conference that he needed ongoing treatment.

 
It is also noted that since taking office as Prime Minister of Japan in 2012, Shinzo Abe was considered the longest-serving government official in terms of the number of consecutive days he spent in office.