A gunman was arrested after killing a security guard and wounding another outside the Honduran consulate near Atlanta on Monday afternoon, officials said.
Emily Heenan, spokeswoman for the city of Doraville, Georgia, about 16 miles northeast of Atlanta, said a suspect was arrested at the scene and police believe there is no other threat to the public.
Honduran Foreign Minister Eduardo Enrique Reina said before the shooting that the gunman had attempted to enter the consulate building with a weapon, which was not permitted. He added that the slain security guard was a Mexican national and worked for a private security company.
Reyna said in a social media post Monday night that authorities in Atlanta believe the gunman, initially believed to be Honduran, is from Puerto Rico. In his post, Mr. Reyna said the gunman was the partner of a Honduran citizen who was doing paperwork at the consulate.
Authorities have not publicly named the suspect.
Authorities have not said whether they know the motive for the attack. Investigators are confident the shooter acted alone, Heenan said.
The Doraville Police Department received a report of shots fired just outside the Honduran Consulate General around 2:30 p.m. The Consulate General is located at 6755 Peachtree Industrial Boulevard and is one of 14 Honduran consulates in Honduras. The security guard was reported to have died at the scene. Another person with injuries was taken to hospital, Heenan said.
Witnesses told Spanish-language news outlets that security guards used pepper spray before the gunman opened fire. They said the gunman fired his weapon several times, hitting a security guard, but the security guard still secured the consulate door.
In remarks Monday, Honduran Foreign Minister Mr. Reyna praised the guards for potentially saving the lives of those inside.
