Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe Reportedly Shot While Giving Campaign Speech
The Yomiuri Shimbun/AP Former PM Shinzo Abe
Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe collapsed after delivering a speech in Nara, a city located in Japan, for a Liberal Democratic Party candidate's election campaign just before noon (local time) on Friday.
A reporter for NHK, Japan's public media organization, said Abe, 67, may have been shot, as they allegedly heard "what sounded like a gun going off" at the time. The reporter also said he was bleeding.
The fire department said Abe was in "cardiopulmonary arrest" and was scheduled to be transferred to Nara Medical University Hospital in Kashihara City, according to the outlet. Per a follow-up report from NHK, the fire department said he is showing no vital signs.
NHK also stated that a man in his 40s has been taken into custody by police for allegedly attempting murder and is being interrogated. Authorities allegedly seized a gun at the scene, which the man was reportedly holding.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Aerial photos showed emergency personnel at the scene.
The Yomiuri Shimbun/AP An aerial photo of the site where Shinzo Abe was shot in Nara City
PEOPLE has reached out to Japan's Prime Minister's Office for more information.
Michelle Ye Hee Lee, Tokyo/Seoul bureau chief for The Washington Post, wrote in an update on Twitter: "Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary is giving a briefing on the Abe shooting. Threading here: At around 11:30am Abe was shot in Nara, his latest condition is unclear at the moment."
For more on Shinzo Abe, listen below to our daily podcast PEOPLE Every Day.
"The govt is coordinating on a response to the shooting, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said," she continued. "All Cabinet members campaigning or helping campaigns have been requested to return to Tokyo, he said. 'Such violence cannot be permitted,' Matsuno said. More to come."
Japan has one of the lowest rates of gun deaths in the world, according to Business Insider.
Abe served as prime minister of Japan from 2006 to 2007 and from 2012 to 2020, per CNN.