Measures taken for safety of Chinese consulate in US

Police have said they will "close monitor" the surroundings of the Chinese Consulate General here in the US to ensure the safety of the consulate office building and diplomatic staff.

Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) made the remarks on Wednesday after Tuesday's shooting incident outside the Consulate General, Xinhua news agency reported.

A security guard of the consulate said the shooting incident occurred at about 6 am local time Tuesday. A gunman, in his 60s, shot at least 17 bullets before killing himself in his car.

No one was injured in the shooting incident. There are six obvious bullet holes in the consulate building, with one on the metal address plate of the building, two on the facade near surveillance cameras and three in the windows.

It was not immediately clear if the gunman had any political motive, police said.

"Why he did it and what he did still are on going investigation, so we would not know," Tony Im, LAPD public information officer, told Xinhua in a phone interview.

"Police department put a security hold on the case, so no information or his identity is being released at this time," Ed Winter, assistant chief of operations for the coroner's office, told Xinhua.

"They don't want any information out, so we can't discuss it," Winter added.

On Tuesday, the consulate general expressed serious concerns about the incident and urged US authorities to take necessary measures to protect the safety of the consulate office building and Chinese diplomatic staff.

--IANS

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