Former Japanese Prime Minister dead after shooting

Photo by: Shinzo Abe - Facebook
Photo by: Shinzo Abe - Facebook

(Nara, Japan) -- Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has been killed in an apparent assassination attempt.

Abe was shot while appearing at a campaign event in Nara, Japan Friday. Police took a man into custody who claimed he "aimed to kill" the former leader.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is calling Abe's assassination "shocking" and "profoundly disturbing."

Speaking at the G20 Summit in Bali, Blinken called Abe "an extraordinary partner" who took the relationship between the U.S. and Japan "to new heights."