A car crashed into the Chinese consulate in San Francisco on Monday. Afterward, chaos ensued and San Francisco police ended up shooting and ultimately killing the driver.
A car crashed into the Chinese consulate in San Francisco. The driver has reportedly been shot.pic.twitter.com/81qMTT4fCf
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) October 9, 2023
The accident occurred around 3:09 p.m. at the Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China by Laguna and Geary Streets. The car stopped inside the visa office’s lobby.
SFPD Sgt. Kathryn Winters said police entered the damaged building long enough to confront the driver. It appeared to be mere moments before police opened fire. Details regarding why the shooting began have yet to be released.
There has been no word on whether the driver was armed, nor how many officers were involved in the shooting. The driver was taken to the hospital, where he later died.
An individual deliberately rammed a car into the #Chinese consulate general in the #UnitedStates .
A blue Honda breached the entrance of the diplomatic office and collided with the wall. Eyewitnesses reported that the driver exclaimed, "Where is the Communist Party?!"
Law… pic.twitter.com/xQsoNJ9I6f
— Jack Straw (@JackStr42679640) October 10, 2023
Winters noted, “I wish I could give you more but this is a very complex investigation.”
The SFPD is working with investigators from the U.S. State Department and the Chinese Consulate.
While the police seem tight-lipped, the Chinese Consulate general was frank in his call for answers. He issued a statement noting,
“Our embassy severely condemns this violent attack.”
For now, the buck is being passed to the US to unearth the details surrounding the incident. Wang Wenbin, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, reiterated the Consulate general’s statement on Tuesday, adding to it,
“We strongly urge the US to launch a swift investigation and take effective measures to ensure the safety of Chinese diplomatic missions and personnel there in accordance with the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations.”
China has strongly urged the US to conduct a swift investigation and take effective measures to ensure safety of Chinese diplomatic institutions and personnel after a vehicle crashed into the Chinese consulate-general building in San Francisco on Monday. https://t.co/kw87hNTE7x
— China Daily (@ChinaDaily) October 10, 2023
This isn’t the first time the Chinese consulate in San Fran has been attacked. In 2014, a Chinese man set fire to the building on New Year’s Day, damaging part of the building’s exterior. That man was sentenced to three years in prison after claiming voices in his head called him to torch the consulate.
The White House issued a statement on Tuesday, with White House National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson telling the Associated Press,
“We condemn this incident and all violence perpetrated against foreign diplomatic staff working in the United States.”
No one else was reported as injured from the car accident or shooting.
