NEW DELHI: Former Japan Prime Minister
Shinzo Abe was shot at a campaign event on Friday, local media reports confirmed.
The attack took place at around 11.30am in Japan's western region of Nara, while Abe was delivering a a stump speech at an event ahead of Sunday's upper house elections.
Immediately after, a 42-year-old man was detained as a suspect in connection with the shock shooting.
Here is all we know about the suspected shooter:
* Yamagami Tetsuya, believed to be the shooter is a former maritime self defence force member
* The man is in his 40's struck the former prime minister from behind
* He fired two shots at Abe - one struck his left chest and the other hit his neck
* The twin gunshots made Abe collapse to ground and smeared his shirt with blood
* The shooter used a handmade gun to attack Abe
* Police have arrested the man for 'attempted murder'
* He had quit from the self defence force in 2005
Shinzo Abe shooting live updates(With inputs from agencies)