Taiwan presidential guard shoots himself on duty

Officials say a soldier has fatally shot himself while standing guard at the front gate of Taiwan's presidential office building in downtown Taipei.

The Defense Ministry said the 22-year-old soldier, surnamed Kao, shot himself in the chest before dawn Thursday. It said fellow guards witnessed the incident but were not able to intervene.

Officials said President Ma Ying-jeou was not at the office building at the time of the incident. Local media said the military was seeking to close any security loopholes.

The Defense Ministry said that Kao was known to have broken up with his girlfriend recently and that his supervisors had tried to ease his distress.