U.S. President Joe Biden called Japanese leader Fumio Kishida to extend his sympathy and outrage over the fatal shooting of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, whose killing at a campaign rally shocked a nation where political violence and guns are rare.
Kishida denounced the act that took place ahead of a Sunday election as "despicable and barbaric” and said in the call with Biden he would protect democracy by not succumbing to violence.
Abe was shot Friday while delivering a speech outside a train station in the western city of Nara on behalf of his Liberal Democratic Party. The gunman approached from behind and fired two blasts at short range from what appeared to be a homemade weapon. Abe suffered wounds to his neck, and was flown by helicopter to an area hospital before he was pronounced dead a little more than five hours later due to massive blood loss.