Zhanyuan Yang, 31, shot dead after he crashed his car through lobby of Chinese consulate in San Francisco had cache of replica firearms in his home - along with a book about political assassinations

  • Zhanyuan Yang has been identified as the man who drove into the consulate on Monday
  • He was shot by police during the incident and later died in hospital
  • Replica firearms, a crossbow and books on terrorism were reportedly found at his apartment

By BETHAN SEXTON, US ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

Published: | Updated:

A man who was shot dead after he crashed his car into the lobby of San Francisco's Chinese consulate owned a cache or replica firearms as well as a book on political assassinations.

Zhanyuan Yang, 31,  was killed after he rammed his blue Honda sedan into the visa office on Monday.

He emerged from the wreck bleeding and shouted, 'Where is the CCP?', an abbreviation for the Chinese Communist Party.

He was shot by police at the scene and later died in hospital, officials confirmed. 

Now it has emerged the Chinese national owned a clutch of replica firearms, as well as assault weapons and a knife.

A man who was shot dead after he crashed his car into the lobby of San Francisco's Chinese consulate owned a cache or replica firearms as well as a book on political assassinations

A man who was shot dead after he crashed his car into the lobby of San Francisco's Chinese consulate owned a cache or replica firearms as well as a book on political assassinations

The items were discovered in Yang's room at his Inner Sunset apartment, according to the SF Standard, which also found a bow and arrow mounted on his wall.

The weapons were found along with a drone and a book about political assassinations entitled, 'Political Murder - From Tyrannicide to Terrorism.'

Other works present included one from communist leader Mao Zedong, as well as  Chinese-language books on various subjects and a copy of the Bible in English.

A whiteboard seen in the room also contained communist party slogans from Deng Xiaoping written in Chinese.

It is thought that Yang had been living at the apartment since 2016.

Documents also uncovered at his disheveled lodgings revealed that he was a environmental sciences graduate of  Xingtan College of Qufu Normal University in China.

Yang's roommate, who declined to be identified, told the outlet he was 'very reserved' and played video games. 

'If he became radicalized, it was recent,' she said.

Yang was shot by police at the scene and later died in hospital, according to officials who did not state his motive

Yang was shot by police at the scene and later died in hospital, according to officials who did not state his motive

The blue Honda sedan came to a stop in the lobby of the Chinese consulate in San Francisco (pictured) after Yang ploughed into the building on Monday

The blue Honda sedan came to a stop in the lobby of the Chinese consulate in San Francisco (pictured) after Yang ploughed into the building on Monday

However, she did state that Yang had recently started drinking alcohol, which he did not do previously and had begun acting strangely in recent months. 

She also added that the car that was crashed into the consulate belonged to their roommate. 

Yang was said to have had few friends and that they visited 'infrequently', while she thought most of his family were in China.

Stanford student Sergii Molchanov was about two meters away from Yang when security guards grabbed him and pinned his arms behind his back.

'He looked at me and I was a little bit scared because I didn't know if he had any gun or something,' Molchanov told the SF Standard.

Molchanov, who was at the consulate to apply for a visa, said he heard two gunshots when police arrived moments later.

'It's quite terrifying and shocking to see,' he added.

'I've seen this on TV and to witness it in real life is quite different. People were terrified. I was quite shocked with all that and am still processing that.'

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