Man kills himself at U.S. embassy

TIRANA, Albania -- An Albanian presidential guard seeking political asylum has shot himself dead after police refused him entry to the U.S. embassy office in Tirana, Reuters reports.

The 32-year-old man wanted to request political asylum from U.S. Ambassador Joseph Limprecht, the agency said.

"If you don't allow me to meet him I will shoot myself," Tirana police chief Ilirian Zylyftari quoted the man, armed with a pistol, as saying.

Police guarding the embassy refused to let him enter because he did not have an appointment. The man fired a shot at an officer and then shot himself in the head.

The U.S. embassy declined to comment on the incident, said Reuters.

One official said the man was believed to be a supporter of the opposition Democratic party unhappy with the result of Sunday's election, which looked set to return the ruling Socialists to power.

Socialist officials said the party looked set to win 45 out of 100 directly elected seats in the 140-seat parliament and that the opposition Democrats of former President Sali Berisha had won 17. Another 40 seats will be allocated to parties in proportion to their overall share of the vote.

A second round of voting will be held in two weeks in 37 constituencies where no clear winner was declared.