By Michael Balsamo, AP
A man armed with an assault rifle was arrested after opening fire outside the Cuban Embassy in Washington early Thursday, his bullets tearing holes into the walls and pillars near the front entrance in what authorities suspect was a hate crime.
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. No injuries were reported.
Officers found the man, Alexander Alazo, 42, of Aubrey, Texas, armed with an assault rifle, and they and took him into custody without incident, police said.
A police report obtained by The Associated Press describes the shooting as a “suspected hate crime” and says Alazo “knowingly discharged multiple rounds from an AK-47 rifle into the Cuban Embassy.” But the report also says Alazo’s motivation is unknown.
Officers recovered the rifle, ammunition and a white powdery substance that was found in a small baggie after Alazo’s arrest, according to the report.
Alazo was arrested on charges of possessing an unregistered firearm and ammunition, assault with intent to kill and possessing a high-capacity magazine, a U.S. Secret Service spokeswoman said.
Alazo remained in custody Thursday. It wasn’t immediately clear whether he had a lawyer.
Cuba’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that embassy staff members were “safe and protected” but that the shooting caused “material damage” to the building. Photos showed large holes left in the building’s facade near the front door and in pillars outside the building.
The Cuban government didn’t know the suspect’s potential motives, the statement said, adding that the State Department was aware of the incident.
“It is the obligation of States to adopt appropriate steps to protect the premises of diplomatic missions accredited to their country against any intrusion or damage and to prevent any disturbance of the peace of the mission or impairment of its dignity,” the statement said.
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. Other images showed investigators surveying the damage in front of the ornate embassy in Washington’s Adams-Morgan neighborhood, including a bullet hole in a window over the front door and damage to a flagpole and a column flanking a statue of Cuban independence hero José Martí.
Officers from the Metropolitan Police Department and the Secret Service were investigating.
An AK47 is not an assault rifle – quit repeating the liberal lies!
yes, we know, but look at the attribution and you’ll see this is an AP article re-print.
An AK-47, and the AK-74, is an assault rifle, by definition.
However, I highly doubt that he had an actual AK-47, as transferable AK’s are kinda expensive.
So chances are he had a semi-automatic rifle, which is not an assault rifle by definition.
The Marine Corps defines an assault rifle as:
A light weight, gas operated, air cooled rifle, fired from the shoulder, capable of select fire (semi-automatic and either fully automatic or burst fire) and fed from an external box magazine. An actual AK-47 fits that definition. An M-16/M-4 also fits that definition.
staged
I didn’t know you had to have a registered weapon and ammo. “intent” to kill??? at 2 a.m.? high-capacity magazine? I don’t Texas laws, can someone please school me?
READ
The guy was in the Peoples Rep of DC
Here is what Sgt John Jackson told me when I was getting cocky about my medal. ” You know what that purple heart and a quarter will do state side,? By you a cup of coffee.”
little low on shot placement on the statue…
Why is the Secret Service involved? The President wasn’t a target, and there was no counterfeit money involved.
Personally, I’d give the guy a pass. If he had killed any of the commie fucks, I’d say give him a medal.
The Secret Service also protects foreign dignitaries, that’s probably why they are involved.
Overstepping their boundaries, according to their actual job description.
As I said, it was a communist embassy.. give the guy a pass..
maybe a Cuban himself? possible…
My first thought. Which would mean it isn’t a racial hate crime, but hatred of the Cuban government. I somehow think that hating a government is not a hate crime.
Alexander Alazo doesn’t sound like the standard issue red neck name.
+1 Was about to suggest the same.
Seems like the guy was just expressing himself, rather vigorously though. At least he did it when it was closed.
Are embassy’s ever completely closed? Aren’t there at least security and cleaning staff after hours?
Really all violent crimes are hate crimes, no? Should the sentence be based on why the victim is hated?
Indeed, hate is only a motive. The crime was shooting at a building that might have had people in it. Its not like his reason for doing it made it more heinous.
I fail to see the crime… He shot up the embassy of a genocidal communist dictatorship we should be at war with. Where is the problem?
The point is we are not…..oh why do I fucking bother?
jwm: Plus 1.
We should not be at war with anyone.
If a guy wants to shoot up an embassy that is between him and them and the US should not be involved.
Maybe they refused to sell him any more Bolivian nose powder? Might just be a disgruntled customer.
At least he didn’t use an ultrasonic weapon and cause brain damage to the inhabitants.
“ Alazo was arrested on charges of possessing an unregistered firearm and ammunition, assault with intent to kill and possessing a high-capacity magazine, a U.S. Secret Service spokeswoman said.
Question how was he arrested for:
1) unregistered firearm when there’s no registration requirements
2) high capacity magazine when there’s no magazine limit in Florida?
How was a Spanish person shooting at the embassy considered a hate crime?
Ignore comment.
I just read an article about Florida jits before this and crossed the two in my head.
OK, why is this a h as te crime? I’ll wait.
A HATE CRIME…DON’T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED…
May have just thought he was at the Robertson’s estate in North Louisiana.
You know…got lost due to the “powdery substance”.
Of course ‘authorities’ suspect a hate crime. Racism is the go to explanation for everything now-a-days. If a man farts within 3 counties of a POC a democrat will declare it a hate crime and at least 3 news articles will be written about it.
It amazes me how many commenters here seem to think it’s okay to shoot up an embassy. I wonder how they like it when somebody shoots up a US embassy?
Well, as far as I can tell it is just fine to shoot up a US embassy. I mean Hillary never did go to jail for her part in it.
Cuba is still a hostile government, and they shouldn’t have an embassy in the US. They are evil, just like the Useless Nations, and both should be kicked out.
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