The mayor of Nagasaki was shot and seriously wounded yesterday evening as he campaigned for re-election, officials said, in a rare gun crime reportedly linked to an underworld gang.
Mayor Iccho Ito's face was badly bloodied and he showed no movement as medics attempted to resuscitate him, TV footage showed. News reports said he was unconscious and in a critical condition.
Police and bystanders immediately pinned down the assailant, who was arrested and taken into custody.
Jiji Press and Kyodo News said the shooter claimed an affiliation with Japan's largest crime gang, the Yamaguchi-gumi.
A police official said the mayor was shot twice in the back, but declined to identify the gunman.
Ito, 61, is an outspoken pacifist and known for his active calls for nuclear disarmament.
RSS