Surrender in consulate shooting
Source: Agencies |
December 17, 2011, Saturday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
AN Asian man in his 60s turned himself in to police on Thursday, claiming responsibility for shooting at the Chinese consulate-general's building in Los Angeles, police said.
Captain Steven Sambar, major crimes division commanding officer at the Los Angeles Police Department, said that the man fired several rounds at the downtown office building that houses the consulate-general. Nobody was hurt.
A security guard identified the man as a protester, although details were sketchy.
The man surrendered to police at about 4:45pm, more than two hours after the shooting took place, Sambar said. He said that police had already strengthened security measures around the area.
A consulate security officer, Cipriano Gutierrez, said he was in his guard hut when he heard shots ring out, at first mistaking them for firecrackers.
"Then the reality kicked in. There was a gunshot at me, directed towards me, so I hit the ground," Gutierrez told reporters at the scene. "I was dodging bullets. I saw a hollow-point bullet land right next to my knee cap," he said, adding that some of the rounds pierced metal fencing in front of the consulate.
"I was grabbing the phone books trying to cover my head," he said.
The shots were fired at the consulate itself as well as at the security kiosk, Gutierrez said. He described the gunman as a protester whom he had seen outside the consulate hours earlier. The man apparently left and then returned.
China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin said yesterday the consulate-general in Los Angeles made representations to the US and called for security to be stepped up around the country.
"China attaches great importance to this matter and has urged the United States to solve this case as soon as possible and to take effective measures to protect the Chinese embassies and consulates in the US, institutions and personnel safety," Liu said.
Police officers are still interviewing witnesses and searching for bullets and other evidence around the building. The consulate building is still under tight security measures, and the surrounding area was cordoned off by police.
Captain Steven Sambar, major crimes division commanding officer at the Los Angeles Police Department, said that the man fired several rounds at the downtown office building that houses the consulate-general. Nobody was hurt.
A security guard identified the man as a protester, although details were sketchy.
The man surrendered to police at about 4:45pm, more than two hours after the shooting took place, Sambar said. He said that police had already strengthened security measures around the area.
A consulate security officer, Cipriano Gutierrez, said he was in his guard hut when he heard shots ring out, at first mistaking them for firecrackers.
"Then the reality kicked in. There was a gunshot at me, directed towards me, so I hit the ground," Gutierrez told reporters at the scene. "I was dodging bullets. I saw a hollow-point bullet land right next to my knee cap," he said, adding that some of the rounds pierced metal fencing in front of the consulate.
"I was grabbing the phone books trying to cover my head," he said.
The shots were fired at the consulate itself as well as at the security kiosk, Gutierrez said. He described the gunman as a protester whom he had seen outside the consulate hours earlier. The man apparently left and then returned.
China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin said yesterday the consulate-general in Los Angeles made representations to the US and called for security to be stepped up around the country.
"China attaches great importance to this matter and has urged the United States to solve this case as soon as possible and to take effective measures to protect the Chinese embassies and consulates in the US, institutions and personnel safety," Liu said.
Police officers are still interviewing witnesses and searching for bullets and other evidence around the building. The consulate building is still under tight security measures, and the surrounding area was cordoned off by police.
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