Moment Shinzo Abe's killer is hiding behind the ex-PM - as explosives were found in his hideout

"An object resembling an explosive was seized from the shooter's home", according to Japanese police who raided the killer's home after the former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot today

The man suspected of shooting Abe stands in the background (

Image: (Photo by Handout and Toshiharu Otani/JIJI PRESS/AFP)

The chilling moment of Shinzo Abe's killer standing behind him moments before he opened fire has been revealed as explosives are discovered in the killer's apartment, officials have reported.

Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Japan's longest-serving leader, died on Friday after being shot while campaigning for parliamentary elections.

Horrifying images and footage show the killer hiding behind Japan's longest-serving prime minister moments before he opened fire.

Japanese media reported that "an explosive-like object was seized from the shooter's residence," according to Japanese police who raided the assailant's hideout.

The attack happened around 11:30 a.m. local time, and the politician was announced dead a few hours later.

A man, suspected of having shot former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, is attacked by police officers (

Picture:

by Reuters)

Hidetada Fukushima, a professor of emergency medicine at Nara Medical University Hospital, said Mr Abe suffered two injuries to the front of his neck and...