© .Douliery Olivier / Sipa USA/AP fileThe Cuban flag flies in front of the country's embassy after 54 years July 30, 2015 in Washington, DC
Someone opened fire using an assault rifle outside the Cuban Embassy in Washington early Thursday and was arrested, authorities said.
The gunfire broke out around 2 a.m. outside the embassy in northwest Washington. Metropolitan Police Department officers were called to the scene after neighbors reported hearing gunshots, authorities said.
Officers found the suspect with an assault rifle and took the person into custody without incident, police said. Investigators say they believe the person had been shooting toward the embassy, though details about any potential motivation remained unclear.
The suspect's identity and the charges against the suspect were not immediately known. No injuries were reported.
Photos from the scene posted to social media showed a group of police officers outside the embassy after the shooting and investigators searching through an SUV parked there.
Officers from the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Secret Service were investigating.
Comment: RT adds further
details:
The Cuban government has released photos of damage from an early-morning shooting at its Washington DC embassy, calling for answers from US investigators after a man was arrested for allegedly firing at the building.
© Twitter / Cancillería de Cuba / CubaMINREXDamage to Cuba's Washington embassy after a gunman opened fire on the building
The suspect was charged with assault with intent to kill, possession of an unregistered firearm and ammunition, and possession of a high-capacity magazine, a US Secret Service spokeswoman told reporters on Thursday.
The Cuban government issued a press release on Thursday demanding to know the "identity and motives of the individual who carried out this aggression and the circumstances surrounding the event," reminding Washington that it is obligated to protect the mission against not only "intrusion or damage" but also "impairment of its dignity."
© Agence France-Presse/GettyInvestigators found a black jacket and blanket at the scene, but it's not immediately clear if they're related to the crime
And from the
New York Times:
A Texas man accused of opening fire outside the Cuban Embassy in Washington early Thursday morning was arrested and charged with assault with intent to kill, the authorities said, reporting damage to the building but no injuries.
The police and Secret Service officers were called to the scene at about 2:10 a.m., after receiving reports of gunfire by the embassy, the police said. There, officers found a man with an "assault-style rifle," said Brianna Jordan, a spokeswoman for the Metropolitan Police Department. He was "taken into custody without incident," she said.
She identified the man as Alexander Alazo, 42, of Aubrey, Texas, and said he had been charged with assault with intent to kill. It was not immediately clear whether he had a lawyer.
"Our initial investigation indicates that the subject was shooting toward a foreign embassy building," Ms. Jordan said, adding that both the police and the Secret Service were investigating the incident.
Indeed, if the heroic police (or who the f' ever) didn't stop the lunatic, he probably would have killed at least five persons per round expended! Sarcasm.