Abe's assassination shocks Japan, where gun control is strict and shootings are rare

An employee of the Yomiuri Shimbun distributes extra editions of the newspaper in Tokyo with reporting on the shooting of Japan's former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Friday.

Eugene Hoshiko / Eugene Hoshiko

The assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is sending shockwaves around the world and especially through Japan, a country where gun regulations are strict and shootings are exceedingly rare.

Abe, who resigned due to health issues in 2020, was fatally shot in broad daylight on Friday while speaking at a campaign rally in the city of Nara.

The police detained a suspect and retrieved a gun at the scene that appears to be homemade, broadcaster NHK reports.