Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe died after being shot Friday by a gunman during a speech in the city of Nara when campaigning for Sunday's upper house election, local media reported.

Local police said that Abe was shot in his chest and neck, with emergency officials saying he did not appear to be displaying any vital signs. 

Police arrested the suspected gunman Tetsuya Yamagami, 41, a resident of Nara. According to NHK, the assailant tried to kill Abe because he was "dissatisfied" with the former prime minister.

Japan's longest-serving leader

Abe, 67, was born in 1954 and graduated from Seikei University in 1977. He worked for Japan's leading steel manufacturer Kobe Steel in 1979.

He served as prime minister from 2006 to 2007 and again from 2012 to 2020. 

During his first tenure as prime minister, Abe abruptly stepped down from his post in 2007 due to chronic ulcerative colitis, an intestinal disease. 

After a landslide victory in the lower house election in 2012, he returned to serve as the nation's prime minister. 

He was re-elected president of the LDP in September 2018. 

On August 24, 2020, Abe became Japan's longest-serving prime minister by number of consecutive days in office. 

He announced on August 28, 2020 that he would step down from his post due to health concerns.