Oct. 10 (UPI) -- Police shot and killed a driver Monday minutes after his vehicle crashed through the front door of the Chinese consulate in San Francisco.
The fatal gunfire erupted after the suspect's blue Honda Civic plowed into the Consulate General's visa office at Laguna Street and Geary Boulevard shortly after 3 p.m., according to the San Francisco Police Department.
The car came to a stop inside the lobby, where nearly two dozen people were waiting in line to get their visas processed before the crash sent them scrambling for the exits.
No casualties or injuries were reported.
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Police have not disclosed the suspect's identity, nor provided a motive for what appeared initially to be a random attack.
The first deputies to arrive on the scene confronted the driver before opening fire and mortally wounding the suspect.
Police have not discussed what led the officers to open fire, nor said whether the suspect pulled a weapon or made any threatening moves toward the deputies before he was shot.
The man was transported to a local hospital, where he died, according to San Francisco Police Department spokesperson Kathryn Winters.
Multiple law enforcement agencies from several jurisdictions, including the U.S. State Department, were cooperating on a wide-ranging investigation into the incident.
The building was evacuated after the episode, in which witnesses said the suspect emerged from the wreck with his head bleeding, and wielding two knives and a crossbow.
Cellphone video taken by a witness after the crash shows a security guard coming face to face with the suspect, however, its unclear whether the guard made an attempt to arrest the driver following the brief 16-second interaction.
Responding officers arrived on the scene within a minute of the crash. At least five deputies raced into the lobby with guns drawn, according to witnesses who took cover outside as the siege played out.
As many as five gunshots were heard before an ambulance arrived to transport the wounded man from the scene.
The bomb squad was also called to check the disabled car for explosives.
The Chinese government issued a statement condemning the "violent attack."
