UPDATE: Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe Confirmed Dead, President Trump Responds

Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was reportedly shot and gravely injured while campaigning Friday in southern Japan, officials said.

Abe, Japan’s longest-serving prime minister, was giving a speech in the city of Nara when gunfire was heard around 11:30 a.m. (10:30 p.m. Thursday ET).

He’s reportedly showing no vital signs after being taken to the hospital, Japanese media report.

BREAKING REPORT: Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe reportedly shot during campaign speech in Japan.

He appeared to have no vital signs, local fire officials said.#BreakingNews #Japan

— DailyNoah.com (@DailyNoahNews) July 8, 2022

#UPDATE Japan's former prime minister Shinzo Abe is showing no vital signs after being taken to hospital following an apparent attack at a campaign event in the Nara region, Japanese media report pic.twitter.com/6UaZxWwn0I

— AFP News Agency (@AFP) July 8, 2022

WATCH:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qq_KBdPsCDM

Medics said Abe was in a state of cardiopulmonary arrest.

A Japanese broadcaster confirmed the former prime minister passed away.

安倍晋三さんが亡くなられました。悔しいの一言です。
今からYouTubeでライブ配信を行ないます。

— 百田尚樹 (@hyakutanaoki) July 8, 2022

【速報 JUST IN 】安倍晋三元首相死亡 奈良県で演説中に銃で撃たれる #nhk_news https://t.co/1YZn0D6SF6

— NHKニュース (@nhk_news) July 8, 2022

Translated: [Breaking News JUST IN] Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe dies and is shot by a gun during a speech in Nara Prefecture.

The suspect appeared to attack Abe with a “homemade” shotgun.

The middle-aged man aimed his shotgun at Abe and fired two shots. The first shot seemed to miss, but the man didn’t flee. He squatted down and waited to be arrested, as per NHK.

Here are stills of the attacker being apprehended. pic.twitter.com/MFvunBC1qc

— Nick Kapur (@nick_kapur) July 8, 2022

First video of attempted assassination attempt on Shinzo Abe: pic.twitter.com/3GrQX7QLpK

— Scott Stedman (indefinite hiatus) (@ScottMStedman) July 8, 2022

The shots reportedly sounded like a cannon blast.

Second video shows the attempted assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe

NOTE: Video not graphic, but viewer discretion is advised pic.twitter.com/BZNGHP78ds

— BNO News (@BNONews) July 8, 2022

Former PM of Japan Shinzo Abe shot dead.
Visuals of the spot just after the incident.pic.twitter.com/vY6okpMrTU

— Madhav Mantri (@madhavmantri) July 8, 2022

Here’s a picture of the “homemade” shotgun reportedly used in the attack.

https://twitter.com/TR1GG3RP0INT/status/1545262663705452546?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1545262663705452546%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fcitizenfreepress.com%2Fbreaking%2Fformer-japanese-leader-shinzo-abe-assassinated%2F

Japanese police raided the suspect’s house.

“安倍元首相銃撃”

殺人未遂の疑いで逮捕された容疑者の奈良市の自宅では、午後5時10分すぎ、爆発物処理にあたる警察官10人ほどが防弾チョッキやヘルメットや盾などの重装備で建物の中に入っていきました。https://t.co/cPJHsCMriX#nhk_video pic.twitter.com/Rsndt9VQOp

— NHKニュース (@nhk_news) July 8, 2022

President Trump responded to the news of the assassination attempt against the former Japanese prime minister.

🙏🏻 pic.twitter.com/fNOd8UWTx8

— The Columbia Bugle 🇺🇸 (@ColumbiaBugle) July 8, 2022

Shinzo Abe is a Japanese patriot and a great friend of the United States! https://t.co/GFJsh3oSco pic.twitter.com/9bBnabsWtq

— The Columbia Bugle 🇺🇸 (@ColumbiaBugle) July 8, 2022

BBC reported:

Abe was shot at twice while he was giving a speech on a street in the city of Nara on Friday morning.

GET THE TRUTH: DailyTruthReport.com

Security officials at the scene tackled the gunman and a 41-year-old suspect is now in police custody.

The suspect, named as Tetsuya Yamagami, admitted shooting Abe with a homemade gun, and said he had a grudge against a “specific organisation”, police said.

Several other handmade weapons, similar to those used in the attack, had been confiscated after a search of the suspect’s house, police officers told a news conference.

Explosives were also found at the home and police said they had advised residents to evacuate the area.