Former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe has died after being shot while giving a speech in the western city of Nara, state broadcaster NHK said.
The 67-year-old bled to death after sustaining two deep neck wounds, a doctor from Nara Medical University Hospital said.
He had no vital signs on arrival, and one wound was deep enough to reach his heart, the doctor added.
The 67-year-old was shot from behind with what appeared to be a homemade gun.
Blood transfusions were given as medics battled to save his life.
It is the first assassination of a sitting or former Japanese premier since the 1930s.
Mr Abe held his chest as he collapsed, his shirt smeared with blood. NHK showed footage of security guards running towards him.
A puff of white smoke was seen as he made a campaign speech outside a railway station ahead of elections to Japan’s upper house on Sunday.
A reporter at the scene said they heard two consecutive bangs during Mr Abe’s address.
His death was also confirmed by a source within the ruling Liberal Democrat Party, Reuters reported.
A 41-year-old man, Yamagami Tetsuya, has been arrested. He is said to live in Nara City and possible explosives have been found at his home, NHK said.
The suspect told officers he was unhappy with Mr Abe and intended to kill him, NHK reported. But Kyodo News said the man had not been motivated by a grudge against Mr Abe’s political beliefs.
It is also reported that the suspect served in the Japanese Navy.
Earlier, current prime minister Fumio Kishida said that while “everything that can be done is being done”, Mr Abe was in a “grave condition”.
Mr Kishida added that the “act of brutality” was “absolutely unforgivable”. He has asked all members of the cabinet to return to Tokyo.
Political violence is rare in Japan, which has strict gun regulations.
“A barbaric act like this is absolutely unforgivable, no matter what the reasons are, and we condemn it strongly,” chief cabinet secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said.
Outgoing UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Mr Abe’s death was “incredibly sad news”.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said it was a “truly dark day”, while former PM David Cameron said he was “alarmed to hear the terrible news from Japan this morning regarding the appalling attack on my friend and former colleague Shinzo Abe”.
Mr Abe served two terms as prime minister – becoming Japan’s longest-serving premier – before stepping down in 2020, saying a chronic health problem had resurfaced.
He has suffered from ulcerative colitis since he was a teenager.
He has remained a dominant presence in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, controlling one of its major factions.
By Sky News
