An unidentified man drove a car into the visa office of the Chinese consulate in San Francisco. According to the police, there was a shooting involving the driver and officers, and the man died in hospital. The Chinese consulate issued a statement condemning the “brutal attack.” In turn, a spokesman for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the man “tried to kill people present at the scene and staff.”
The incident took place on Monday afternoon. As police said at a short press conference, a Honda sedan entered the hall of the visa office of the Chinese consulate. The officers who arrived at the scene made contact with the car driver, and then a shooting occurred with his participation. The ABC television station reported that its employees observed a man covered in blood who was carried from the scene on a stretcher and placed in an ambulance. Despite the efforts of doctors, the suspect was pronounced dead at the hospital, police said.
The car drove into the visa office of the Chinese consulate in San FranciscoReuters
According to the police, the identity of the driver and the cause of the accident are not yet known. Authorities did not report that anyone other than the vehicle’s driver was injured. The Chinese diplomatic mission in San Francisco issued a statement saying that “an unidentified person entered the consulate’s visa office, posing a serious threat to the safety of staff and people on site and causing serious damage to the consulate’s facilities and property,” Reuters reported on Tuesday , adding that the consulate said it “strongly condemns this brutal attack and reserves the right to be held accountable for this incident.”
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman condemns ‘brutal attack’
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin, quoted by Reuters, said the man drove into the consulate lobby “in an attempt to kill people present at the scene and staff.” “China strongly urges the United States to conduct a prompt investigation” and take effective measures to ensure the safety of China’s diplomatic institutions and staff, Wenbin added during a news conference on Tuesday.
Police outside the Chinese consulate in San FranciscoReuters
Main photo source: Reuters