A security guard at the Honduran consulate near Atlanta was shot dead on Monday by a man who refused to hand over his weapon before entering the building and instead fired on the security guard, the Honduran foreign minister said.
The man, who was not identified by police, killed the guard and wounded another person before he was taken into custody, said city of Doraville spokesperson Emily Heenan. Doraville police were called to the scene of the shooting at the suburban office park, about 16 miles north of downtown Atlanta at around 2:30 p.m., according to Heenan.
A U.S. State Department spokesperson strongly condemned the attack in a statement Monday evening.
“Attacks and threats against diplomatic facilities are unacceptable,” the spokesperson said. “We are in contact with Honduran consulate officials and consistent with our obligations under the Vienna Conventions, the Department is committed to the security and safety of diplomatic facilities and the diplomats who work in them.”
The Honduran consulate in Georgia did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Heenan told USA TODAY more information on the suspected shooter and victims would be available soon. Doraville police are holding the suspect and the wounded person was taken to a hospital for treatment.
Honduran Foreign Minister Eduardo Enrique Reina told a press conference in Tegucigalpa the suspect was a Honduran national. The private security guard was of Mexican origin.
“The individual refused to hand over his weapon and unfortunately pulled out his weapon, mortally wounding the security guard with five shots,” Reina said.
The security guard managed to close the door, preventing the armed man from entering and possibly sparing more victims, the foreign minister said.
A Honduran witness waiting to enter the consulate noted the fleeing suspect’s license plate number and reported it to police, Reina said.
Contributing: Reuters
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