Shinzo Abe was Assassinated

Overheal · 08-07-2022 4:17am #1

He was giving a speech in Nara, Japan

https://indianexpress.com/article/world/former-japan-pm-shinzo-abe-shot-8016155/

He was rushed to hospital, but reportedly pronounced dead.

https://twitter.com/GordonlKnight/status/1545239755163865089?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1545239755163865089%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Findianexpress.com%2Farticle%2Fworld%2Fformer-japan-pm-shinzo-abe-shot-8016155%2F

https://twitter.com/TheCalvinCooli1/status/1545243748241707009?s=20&t=oZvvIIQ0pZJqHnaZDpCf4Q

Strumms · 08-07-2022 4:43am

Don't think it's been confirmed by official sources but doesn't seem likely he has survived if he was hit in the neck...

kowloon · 08-07-2022 4:44am

Pretty high-profile, any news on a motive?

Strumms · 08-07-2022 4:46am

Shotgun too yeah... likely to be fatal..

slumdogemillionaire · 08-07-2022 5:06am

Ex-Tokyo governor Yoichi Masuzoe said in a tweet that Mr Abe was in a state of cardiopulmonary arrest.

The term is often used before a death is officially confirmed in Japan.

Source: BBC

kowloonkev · 08-07-2022 5:20am

It looked like an odd place to be giving a planned speech. Completely open.

Busi_Girl08 · 08-07-2022 7:30am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119307034#Comment_119307034

Japan is one of the safest places in the world in terms of gun violence.

kowloonkev · 08-07-2022 7:44am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119307147#Comment_119307147

Famous last words

08-07-2022 7:50am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119307167#Comment_119307167

It is. All sorts of crime, not just gun violence, is pretty much unheard of there. It wasn't a gun either way, some kind of home made thing

namloc1980 · 08-07-2022 8:23am

https://twitter.com/RandomCassette/status/1545305178009587712?t=KL28ewV0pkUc_vlgE4pq-g&s=19

Looks like the first shot missed and security slow to react to it.

Bobblehats · 08-07-2022 8:31am

Honour killing? RIP first instinct was ninjas; as it happens you'd never associate japan with the guns.

tara73 · 08-07-2022 8:42am

crazy. he was PM for 8 years, quite some time. he must have been a threat to some powerful people, wanted to talk about something delicate my guess...realised we know nothing about Japanese politics here in Europe.

Imagine Bertie get shot...

cruizer101 · 08-07-2022 8:54am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119307247#Comment_119307247

The reaction of the crowd there is very strange, seems like they didn't realise what had happened, after gunshots fired you would normally expect people to run away.

Boggles · 08-07-2022 8:56am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119307301#Comment_119307301

Doubt it, he wasn't great with the truth and spread a lot of hate and division, could of been a number of different types of crazies.

The guy apparently was Ex Navy.

Off to the Gallows with him anyway.

namloc1980 · 08-07-2022 9:05am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119307347#Comment_119307347

Not really. Guns are virtually unknown in Japan so genuinely people wouldn't know what was going on, and also culturally the Japanese don't overreact or burst out screaming to traumatic events like you'd see in the US or Europe. Very different cultures lead to very different behaviours.

Penn · 08-07-2022 9:57am

Being reported now that he has died from the injuries.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jul/08/shinzo-abe-japans-former-prime-minister-dies-after-being-shot?CMP=twt_gu&utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium#Echobox=1657270489

Ten of Swords · 08-07-2022 11:05am

Homemade shotgun

TheIrishGrover · 08-07-2022 11:14am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119307388#Comment_119307388

Some years ago I was in Tokyo around New Year's. On New Year's Day they open the Emperor's palace and he gives a speech (Well actually I think he gives three throughout the day). I was lucky enough to be there for that. The Emperor gave his speech. No cheering, few clapping. Everyone had a small paper flag that they waved in pretty much silence. It was very strange and interesting.

timmyntc · 08-07-2022 11:30am

Echoes of Yamaguchi from way back

Yamaguchi acted against communists in Japan I believe - any word on a motive for Abe's attacker?

Wibbs · 08-07-2022 11:37am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119307981#Comment_119307981

I remember seeing an interview with Ringo Starr years ago talking about the madness of Beatlemania, except for Japan, where they'd come on play their songs and would be met with near silence until the song was over followed by clapping.

Bobblehats · 08-07-2022 12:00pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119308095#Comment_119308095

Joe Strummer approves I think we can acknowledge they are a smart bunch; that tend to do things with great style. I mean look at that boom-block they to take core ideas and innovate; build on sure they even manage to take the globali(st) de facto youth culture that is hip-hop and put their own slant to make even *that* appear relatively smart.

Population issues, sure but they're working on that too I see. Lot of respect for my Japanese friends, down the years always mutual.

Niall145 · 08-07-2022 12:08pm

Pity it wasn't Putin...

jmreire · 08-07-2022 12:14pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119307948#Comment_119307948

Gun Laws in Japan might be strict to the point that it's impossible to own one for the ordinary citizen? In any case this kind of shooting is practically unheard of there.

TheValeyard · 08-07-2022 12:16pm

He was a Japanese powerhouse. Made some significant changes and brought stability to the Japanese political system.

I dont understand why he was taken out when in retirement?

Absolutely horrific

Fattybojangles · 08-07-2022 12:32pm

He was quite a controversial figure as well was a big supporter of remilitarization and and he was known to excuse/downplay Japanese war crimes during WW2.

TheValeyard · 08-07-2022 12:37pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119308371#Comment_119308371

Remilitarization with an aggressive and expansionist China near your borders was probably a good thing. Japan of the early 20th century is not the Japan of today. Although I'd agree, Japan as never truly acknowledged his warcrimes against the Asians nations.

SimonTemplar · 08-07-2022 12:38pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119307347#Comment_119307347

I thought the same thing but I guess that is the result of being from a nation with almost no gun crime. Compare that to the reaction of the crowd in the recent Chicago 4th July shooting, or even a few years ago when a vehicle backfire caused a panic in Times Sq.

quokula · 08-07-2022 12:48pm

RIP. While my knowledge of Japanese internal politics is basically zero, Abe always seemed like a steady hand and a proper statesman on the world stage for a long time, similar to Merkel. I have been to Japan a couple of times and as others have mentioned it's hard to imagine a safer country so this comes as a real shock.

08-07-2022 12:49pm

RIP, very sad day for Japan.

Bobblehats · 08-07-2022 12:51pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119308401#Comment_119308401

Sure this is it it's a high trust society. Remote biosphere; like ourselves albeit duly respected no interference permitted no meddling...

-an aspect of which may have been on the deceased's agenda, you'd have to look it up but beyond whatever kinks it's a clean living society. But with still too many inhabitants so you're bound to get one; at least but then even in such cases they'll still tend to cut to the crux of the matter.

Quin_Dub · 08-07-2022 12:57pm

It's just so utterly out of character for Japan.

Just not something you'd ever imagine happening.

They shooter has apparently said that he "just didn't like Abe and wanted to kill him".

08-07-2022 2:00pm

Not good, he was ridiculously exposed there. Serious lapse in security.

TheIrishGrover · 08-07-2022 2:18pm

That's just the way they do it. You see politicians, from rural town mayors on up, speaking on the street or an the back of trucks etc. Here we have politicians out jogging with no security. He was not the active Prime Minister and in a country with a disproportionately low violent crime rate. Murder cases are rare and all over the news and followed in great detail

monkeybutter · 08-07-2022 2:23pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119308095#Comment_119308095

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wp2DqGnlShM

this is actual footage of beatlemania in japan

seems to be just like anywhere else, below is the beckhams at the airport

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMx1YvbrCVo

Quin_Dub · 08-07-2022 2:24pm

If you think about all our TD's and Ministers out campaigning , they'd all be very similar - Wandering around Shopping centres etc.

A member of government getting shot while campaigning is just not something that would even register as a possibility here or in Japan clearly..

namloc1980 · 08-07-2022 2:25pm

https://twitter.com/Abdullah__Neaz/status/1545394722599882753?t=jDgCqOYRPL9sz1AQaWeJNA&s=19

....

Bobblehats · 08-07-2022 2:26pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119309039#Comment_119309039

Stop it, by jaysus you’ll have our lot sweatin more bullets than the country can muster.

Willing to put it down to a case of overpopulation. Even in Japan there’s got to be one; at least one I tells ya….

monkeybutter · 08-07-2022 2:29pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119309085#Comment_119309085

I mean that he had to make his own gun says all that needs to be said

Imagine living in a world where that wasn't normality

Bobblehats · 08-07-2022 2:34pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119309119#Comment_119309119

Lot of knifey stabby I’d imagine 😰 quick; break out the guns.

monkeybutter · 08-07-2022 2:37pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119309152#Comment_119309152

i have no idea what you are on about in your last 2 posts, maybe a few too any friday crunchys?

Strumms · 08-07-2022 2:43pm

I wouldn’t like to be his security team, utterly hopeless. Several shots fired from where he is statistically most vulnerable.

the uniform cop to the right standing like a mannequin several shots have been fired… looks like he should be stood in the window of a primark.

Bobblehats · 08-07-2022 2:48pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119309173#Comment_119309173

Oh waay too many of those buttercheeks here’s a thing though whether guns; or knife its what culture you allow establish itself in your country. What level of distrust you instilled or allow to fester there and japan, at least is far off that so I'd probably trust them for the most part but it's an unfortunate incident, no doubt and I hope amidst the furore we can all pay our respects ..

snowstorm445 · 08-07-2022 2:51pm

I know very little about the ins and outs of Japanese politics but from the outside it seems to be a nation going through a bit of an identity crisis at the moment. Its heyday is definitely behind it, at one stage in the 80s many were predicting that Japan would be the next superpower, not China. But they've had about 30 years of slow growth and stagnation since their bubble burst in the early 90s, and couple that with the rise of China in their own neck of the woods in the meantime. Their population is also falling rapidly from its peak about 20 years ago.

Abe seems to have been a stable force in their political system (Japanese PMs don't seem to have much staying power) but also showcased a lot of that residual nationalism, especially towards their imperial history in China and elsewhere.

Again it's a gross oversimplification but I wonder if this tragedy together with the serious aggression coming out of China at the moment will have a major effect on Japanese self-confidence. Or how that will play out politically.

monkeybutter · 08-07-2022 2:52pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119309200#Comment_119309200

as it was a homemade shotgun and it seems 2 shots were fired within maybe 1.5 - 2 seconds, not even speedy gonzales would have reacted fast enough

Not even Clint eastwood and Kevin Costner would have stopped some randomer attack like that

growleaves · 08-07-2022 2:53pm

Surely the Yazuka (sp?) crime syndicate use guns?

Also to poster above who said a gun wasn't involved, think you may be a little confused. A gun produced by an amateur gunsmith in his garden shed is still a gun, if it works properly and can shoot.

08-07-2022 2:54pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119309085#Comment_119309085

Yeah Leo V lives a normal enough life around Dublin. I don't think it's prudent for him to be mingling in the park or out jogging with no security when he has the position he has.

monkeybutter · 08-07-2022 2:55pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119309223#Comment_119309223

there will always be nutters and people with grudge so keeping the guns out of easy reach, just like the dishwasher tabs out of the babies mouth makes sense also

Guns dont kill people, rappers do!!!

monkeybutter · 08-07-2022 2:59pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119309276#Comment_119309276

he has gotten this far, why curtail your life to live in fear

you could list the numbers of politicians killed here and you fingers and I think all but 1 or 2 are about 100 year ago and the others I think have some aspect of the north to them and about 30 years have passed

so mingle away

Bobblehats · 08-07-2022 3:03pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119309286#Comment_119309286

.-well this is it really but there is no oversimplified this matter, only complicating it and much as we may loathe our own we should always feel we know each other enough to never step over that boundary. Sure you get the occasional fool but lookit, it's no milkshake off my back and we can all look back and laugh regardless.

growleaves · 08-07-2022 3:05pm

The Irish Labour Party TD James Tully was standing next to the Egyptian dictator Anwar Sadat as part of a trade visit when Sadat was shot dead.

Some wag said afterwards "They missed".

kowloon · 08-07-2022 4:13pm

Looks like pipes duct-taped to a plank, there's not really much you can do to stop people making stuff like this. The most interesting improvised firearm I've ever seen was made in a prison in the US and used a box stapler as a trigger/striker mechanism. If someone is determined enough they'll be able to put something together.

Shinzo Abe was Assassinated

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