Matsuno: Such a barbaric act is unforgivable

The Yomiuri Shimbun

14:31 JST, July 8, 2022

Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno held a press conference at the Prime Minister’s Office in Tokyo on Friday morning in response to the shooting of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

“Whatever the [perpatraor’s] reasons were, such a barbaric act is unforgivable. We firmly condemn it. The government will take all possible measures to deal with the situation,” Matsuno said, after confirming that Abe had been shot in Nara Prefecture at around 11:30 a.m. and a man had been arrested. “The condition of Mr. Abe is unknown at this time. We are continuing to check for updates,” he said.

“Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was immediately informed of the situation. He is returning to the Prime Minister’s Office from a campaign trip. I have also instructed the Cabinet ministers in various parts of the country to return to Tokyo immediately.”

At 11:45 a.m., the government set up an office within the Prime Minister’s Office crisis management center to deal with the situation, Matsuno said.