Tragic Murders at USC Spark Safety Concerns- LAPD Investigation & Campus Lawsuit
On April 11, 2012, Ming Qu and Ying Wu, two Chinese graduate students from the University of Southern California (USC), were tragically murdered in Los Angeles. The incident, which occurred as they sat in their parked car approximately one mile from the USC campus, raised significant concerns about safety in the surrounding South Los Angeles area, known for its crime-ridden neighborhoods.
In the early hours of April 11, Qu and Wu were inside their 2003 BMW on the 2700 block of Raymond Avenue when two armed African American men approached. Qu attempted to flee but was shot multiple times in the head. Wu, who remained in the car, was fatally shot in the chest. Despite heavy rain complicating the crime scene, both victims were quickly transported to California Hospital Medical Center, where they were pronounced dead on arrival. Both students, aged 23, were studying electrical engineering and hailed from Mainland China.
The investigation led police to trace a cell phone stolen during the crime, which played a crucial role in identifying the suspects. On May 18, 2012, Bryan Barnes, 20, was arrested near USC, and Javier Bolden, 19, was detained in Palmdale. Both were charged with two counts of murder.
In addition to these charges, Barnes and Bolden faced accusations of attempted murder in a separate incident in December 2011, which resulted in severe injuries to a woman and paralysis to a man. Barnes was also suspected of another shooting at a party in February 2012 that injured a 20-year-old man.
On February 25, 2014, Bryan Barnes pleaded guilty to two counts of murder and received a life sentence without the possibility of parole. He admitted to special circumstances that could have led to the death penalty. Javier Bolden was convicted in October 2014 and similarly sentenced to life without parole.
In the aftermath of the murders, about a thousand people gathered at the Shrine Auditorium to mourn Qu and Wu. Los Angeles Chinese Consul General Qiu Shaofang emphasized the immediate and committed response from Chinese authorities and consular officials in addressing the tragedy.
The USC campus is located in an urban, low-income area with a high rate of hate crimes. Following the incident, the parents of Qu and Wu sued USC, alleging that the university misrepresented the security of the campus. However, in February 2013, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Michael Johnson dismissed the lawsuit. He stated that the plaintiffs could not establish a direct link between the university’s security measures and the murders.
The tragic deaths of Ming Qu and Ying Wu highlighted the ongoing concerns about safety in the areas surrounding USC, prompting discussions on campus security and the well-being of students living off-campus.