Americas

Americas

Nobody hurt in L.A. Chinese consulate shooting

16 December 2011 02:31 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. An unknown gunman fired multiple shots at a downtown office building that houses the Chinese consulate-general Thursday afternoon and nobody was hurt, police and diplomats said, APA reports quoting Xinhua.

The man fled after opening fire for multiple times at the front door of the multi-story mansion at 2:17 p.m. local time (2217 GMT), police officer Derek Campbell told Xinhua.

"There was no report of any injuries, and we still have our officers at the scene looking after the suspect," he said.

The suspect, described by authorities as an Asian male in his mid-50s, was still at large until this story was filed.

The shooting has also been confirmed by consulate officials who called in local police and demanded anyone responsible for the shooting be held accountable according to the law.

The consulate-general has made solemn representations to the U.S. State Department’s office in L.A. over the incident, demanding necessary actions be taken immediately to ensure the safety of the consulate’s compounds and its personnel.

Xinhua reporters at the scene spotted several police vehicles from Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD). The surrounding area was cordoned off while an investigation was already underway.