An NHK reporter's video footage shows what looks like a gun dropped on the ground near the scene where former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo was shot.

The reporter, who was covering Abe's campaign speech, says Abe started making speech alongside a candidate just before 11:30 a.m.

She says she suddenly heard loud bangs going off twice.

Her footage shows police officers tackling a man to the ground who was standing several meters behind Abe.

The reporter says the man was holding a cylinder-shaped object and white smoke was coming out from the tip of it.

She says when she turned her eyes to Abe, he was bleeding from around his chest.