Locals Voice Anger, Fear after Shooting of Ex-Japan PM Abe

Nara, July 8 (Jiji Press)--Local residents and others voiced anger and fear, after former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot while delivering a speech in the western Japan city of Nara on Friday.

A bleeding Abe collapsed after being shot by a man while campaigning for a candidate of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party for Sunday's House of Councillors election.

"I heard 'pop, pop' and turned around to see (Mr. Abe) lying on the ground," said a 53-year-old woman, who was among the crowd of people listening to the speech at the time of the attack.

"The suspect showed no signs of running away and he had a long gun," she said, adding, "My heart was racing and I was scared."

"I heard 'boom, boom,'" a female employee of a nearby store recalled in a trembling voice. She said that there was a crowd of people holding up their smartphones on the sidewalk and that the police had arrived at the scene.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]