The man who crashed his car into the car into San Francisco’s Chinese consulate on Monday before being shot and killed by police has been identified by officials.
The deceased suspect was identified as Zhanyuan Yang, 31, of San Francisco, by the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office.
Yang was armed with a knife and crossbow, according to a San Francisco Police Department source with direct knowledge of the investigation.
The motive for the incident remains unclear, but Yang was heard by witnesses asking for the Chinese Communist Party.
The shooting occurred at around 3:09 p.m. Monday when the blue Honda Civic drove into the lobby of the consulate on Geary Boulevard near Laguna Street, according to police.
Video from bystanders obtained by The Standard showed people fleeing the building as security guards grappled with the driver. Witnesses said the driver was bleeding, and one witness said he was holding knives.
The shooting happened after an officer “contacted” the suspect, said police. Two witnesses described hearing anywhere between two to five gunshots.
Why the man drove his car into the consulate is unclear, but a White House official said authorities believe the driver was “acting with malign intent.”
The government of the People’s Republic of China has condemned what is described as an attack.
This is a developing story.