With Japan's ex-PM Abe pale and lifeless, a doctor at the scene prayed for a miracle

FILE PHOTO: Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe makes a speech before he was shot from behind by a man in Nara, western Japan July 8, 2022 in this photo taken by The Asahi Shimbun. The Asahi Shimbun/via REUTERS

TOKYO (Reuters) - The moment he laid eyes on Shinzo Abe's ashen face, Shingo Nakaoka knew that any attempt to revive the former Japanese premier was likely to be in vain.

By the time the 64-year-old doctor had rushed to the scene from his nearby clinic within minutes of Abe's shooting on July 8, the stricken lawmaker's face was bloodless from deep gunshot wounds to the neck.