Man Fires Several Shots at Chinese Consulate Building NR11583rf

Los Angeles:  A lone gunman fired several shots at the local Chinese consulate after participating in a protest at the location earlier in the day.

Yesterday afternoon, a man in front of the Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in the 400 block of Shatto Place in Los Angeles was part of a small protest related to human rights in mainland China.  About 2:20 p.m., acting independently from the other protesters, he opened fire on the consulate building and then drove away in his car.

No one was hurt during the incident, and it appears the suspect was acting alone. He has been identified as 67-year-old Jeff Baoliang Zhang, originally from Shanghai, China.  Zhang has apparently become a naturalized U.S. citizen and now resides in Las Vegas, NV.

No further information is available at this time about the shooting, which is being investigated in collaboration with other agencies.

About 5 p.m. yesterday, Zhang turned himself in at LAPD’s Wilshire Division on West Venice Boulevard.  Police also confiscated his weapon, a 9 mm handgun, and booked him for attempted murder.  His bail has been set at $100,000, and he is currently being held at the LAPD’s downtown Metropolitan Detention Center.

Anyone with information about this incident may call 1-877-LAPD-24-7 (1-877-527-3247).   Those who prefer to remain anonymous should call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (1-800-222-8477).  Tipsters may also contact Crime Stoppers by texting to phone number 274637 (C-R-I-M-E-S on most keypads) with a cell phone.  All text messages should begin with the letters “LAPD.” Tipsters may also go to www.LAPDOnline.org, click on "webtips" and follow the prompts.