Japan’s Shinzo Abe dead: Biden ‘stunned, outraged’ over assassination

President Biden on Friday said he was “stunned, outraged and deeply saddened” to hear about the fatal shooting of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. 

In a statement released by the White House, Biden said, “This is a tragedy for Japan and for all who knew him.”

“He was a champion of the Alliance between our nations and the friendship between our people,” the president added. 

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Biden worked with the former Japanese prime minister for five years during his tenure as vice president 2009 to 2017.

Abe was the longest-serving prime minister for Japan and held the post for eight consecutive years beginning in 2012.

His tenure was remarkable not only because Japan’s election scene has historically seen relatively high turnover, but because Abe abruptly ended his first term after serving only one year from 2006 to 2007 due to complications relating to his ulcerative colitis, a chronic condition.

Biden championed his dedication to promoting democracy not only in Japan but around the world. 

“His vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific will endure,” the president said. “Above all, he cared deeply about the Japanese people and dedicated his life to their service. Even at the moment he was attacked, he was engaged in the work of democracy.”

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The news of the former prime minister’s death sent global shock waves in part because of Japan’s ranking as one of the world’s safest countries to live in along with its well-known strict gun laws. 

Gun violence in Japan has been extremely rare for several decades following a 1958 law that barred guns and swords.

Japanese civilians can obtain firearms if they complete a 13-step program that requires them to join a hunting or shooting club and includes an in-depth background and evaluation process. 

It is suspected that the weapon used to shoot Abe was a homemade firearm as it gave off a large amount of smoke after it was fired. 

“While there are many details that we do not yet know, we know that violent attacks are never acceptable and that gun violence always leaves a deep scar on the communities that are affected by it,” Biden said. “The United States stands with Japan in this moment of grief.”