Breaking: Two graduate students killed west of USC campus
Two graduate students were fatally shot early Wednesday morning in a car in front of a residence on Raymond Avenue near 27th Street, according to Dept. of Public Safety Capt. David Carlisle.
The Los Angeles Police Department responded to the scene, where one female, 23-year-old Ying Wu, and one male victim, 23-year-old Ming Qu, were transported to California Hospital where they were pronounced dead.
Chloe Stepney | Daily Trojan
[Update 11:15 a.m.] At some point after being shot, Qu fled from the car to a nearby porch to seek help, according to LAPD Cdr. Andrew Smith. The suspect in the case is said to be male. No other details on the suspect have been released.
Michael L. Jackson, vice president for student affairs, and Todd Dickey, senior vice president of administration, released a joint statement to the university community at approximately 10:51 a.m:
“Our community is saddened and outraged by this callous and meaningless act. Our hearts and prayers go out to the victims’ families and friends and all who knew them at USC. The university is reaching out to those affected, offering counseling and support.
The Los Angeles Police Department and our Department of Public Safety are working aggressively to solve this crime.
This incident occurred outside the neighborhood areas where over the past several years we have steadily increased our security presence, adding dozens of security and license plate recognition cameras, uniformed officers, and yellow-jacketed security ambassadors. However, tragedies such as this morning’s remind us that we all need to be continuously vigilant about safety and security.
While crime in our community is low compared to other areas of Los Angeles, we want to reassure you about ongoing efforts to promote safety in the neighborhoods around campus, including a public safety task force for students, parents, faculty and staff; a community safety task force with the USC Family of Schools; and a collaboration on public safety issues between the Department of Public Safety and the area’s neighborhood councils. These efforts, among others, have succeeded in significantly improving safety in our surrounding community.”
[Update 10:00 a.m.] Both victims were in their 20s and of Chinese descent. Richard French, a spokesperson for the LAPD, said the female was found inside a late-model BMW and the male victim was found outside of the vehicle. The LAPD received a report of shots fired in the 2700 block of Raymond Avenue shortly after 1 a.m.
[Update 9:15 a.m.] LAPD Officer Gregory Baek said they suspect the shooting was an attempted carjacking, though the investigation is ongoing.
“At this time, what we have is a tragic loss of [USC students],” Carlisle said.
Names of the victims have not yet been released as the victims’ families are contacted.
“The circumstances surrounding the shooting are unclear. USC’s Department of Public Safety is working closely with LAPD on the investigation,” said Carlisle in the Trojan Alert sent at 6:25 a.m.
The car where the victims were shot has been removed from the scene, where LAPD is still investigating the shooting, as of 7:45 a.m.
Raymond Avenue between 27th and 29th streets is closed to traffic.
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I got my undergraduate degree from USC and lived north of campus for 1 year. It was
not safe–especially at night but my apartment was burglarized in broad daylight
by a local teenager who tried to pry open my kitchen window. If not for my dog,
it might have ended differently. I moved to South Pasadena and commuted–much
safer. Parents, make sure your children live in safe areas of Los Angeles.
It’s a problem of insufficient communication between USC and the international student community. For international students, their sharing of information is largely limited by their self segregated group. It’s our school and everyone’s responsibility to help international students better adapt to their life in another country.
What a great comment you have shared – I believe that it is critical to help international students properly assimilate here at USC
But my international peers should also make an effort to assimilate with their native US classmates! It’s a two way street. I would happily give international students a run-down of the USC area (as I also got my BA here), but it is difficult when they choose to self-segregate.
Why doesn’t USC have a buddy program for international students? I’m not asking for someone to become my BFF, but I am sure international students would be more likely to associate with peers of all races and cultures if it was encouraged/mandated by a little weeklong orientation.mentor type situation.
@USC Grad Student
Another keyboard good Samaritan, aren’t you?
It might have occurred to you that not all native students are that friendly toward foreign students, and that not all of them are even willing to help out a newcomer?
This is not a time to say what if, why, or who. It is a time to wrap our arms around the parents whose children lost their lives today. Their agony cannot be understood or even touched upon those of us who have not encountered their tragedy. My prayers go out to them, in a distant country, whose hope and love and faith surrounded their children. May God’s love encircle your grief and hold you strong in the belief there was a reason. I feel your agony and hope for your strength.
For those who want to listen to live LAPD broadcasts of crime in progress, go to http://www.radioreference.com/apps/audio/?feedId=3711. This particular channel is for the entire city. Listen when the dispatcher says “any southwest unit” since those are the officers who cover the USC area. Discover for yourself just how much crime happens in the city of angels.
This is just an earth-shattering event. Words cannot explain what I feel.
I did not know the individuals that were murdered… but I think that if you are a student at USC you can relate. Anyone could have been in their position…
People go to school to learn, make friends, have fun, and set up their lives… for the future….
NOT TO DIE.
Lets pray that those individuals can rest in peace and that their families are ok. Lets also pray that justice is brought to the person who committed the crime.
We need to be aware of our surroundings and USC needs to tell their students what locations are UNSAFE. At my orientation, USC kept saying how hard they try to keep the crime rates down… but they did not say how bad it actually was. Now that I am a student, I get a DPS crime notification 1-3 times a week… it is ridiculous.
AHHHHHHHHH so tragic!
Although there is a huge chance that the person that murdered these innocent kids is Hispanic or Black, given the demographics of the surrounding community, that should not matter at all. This person killed and should be heavily punished for what he did, and I hope students do not start to think negatively of the surrounding USC community. Most of the locals are working class people that oppose this senseless violence and are willing to help students.
To my fellow SC students: What’s done is done, and there is nothing in this world that will bring these kids back to life, so let’s focus on how to improve student safety to prevent more incidents like this from happening. We cannot simply just blame USC, they’re not our babysitters.. and we cannot blame the students that were killed for driving a BMW late at night. However, we have to remember, we are in South Central Los Angeles, an urban city, where violence and crime is evident. Let’s be safe and I am sure USC will flex some muscle in improving safety.
With that being said, I hope whoever did this rots in prison.
Well said!! I think the people that commited this crime should be lined up and shot!!! Why waste taxpayer money on killers and losers!!!! I am sure the USC security and LAPD will work hard on solving this senseless crime. My prayers are with the families of these two young individuals.
Really sad and angry to hear about this senseless act of violence. My thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and their families.
I REALLY hope they catch the scumbag that did this. I’m tired of innocent people being robbed, hurt, or killed by some stupid thugs.
To concerned parents and prospective students, I’d like to give my opinion regarding safety in the area. On the whole, I would say that the area surrounding campus is not as safe as many other college towns. There is a lot of crime in the area, mostly theft, but if you are careful, you should be okay. USC has beefed up security off campus in recent years, hiring security to stand on street corners and monitor the area as well as installing lots of surveillance cameras (mostly south of campus). I think this has helped, but more could be done. There are certain parts of town that are worse than others and that should be avoided (North and West of campus in particular). Campus itself is pretty safe. USC DPS (department of public safety) has a strong presence on campus and regularly patrols off campus.
Safety concerns should not deter you from attending USC or sending your kids there if you like the school. I lived in the University Park area for 4 years, received a great education, and had no problems at all. Following a few simple rules can make things a lot safer:
1) Avoid the problematic areas (North and West of campus), especially at night. Avoid living in these areas or even hanging out in these areas.
2) Do not walk off campus after dark if you don’t have to. Definitely do not walk around alone…. even small groups (2-3) can be a little risky when it’s late. Take advantage of the Tram service or Campus Cruiser whenever possible (it’s free!). If you must walk at night, walk in groups and avoid small dark streets (walk along main streets as much as possible!).
3) Be cautious and aware of your surroundings. Keep doors locked. Close windows when you aren’t home. Don’t leave valuables in plain sight (especially in cars).
The bottom like is do not allow yourself to become a target. You don’t have to live in fear, but if you live in the area, realize that you need to be more careful. A little vigilance goes a LONG way.
I agree with most of what you wrote except for “problematic areas.” The fraternity and sorority houses are north of the campus and students live in every direction surrounding the campus. To suggest people should avoid living or hanging out there is ludicrous. Students have to live somewhere. They just have to be aware of their own safety and follow common sense advice.
You’re right! I meant south of campus.
Avoid SOUTH of campus. Security north of campus (near the row), has been improved.
Correction: 1) Avoid the problematic areas (SOUTH and West of campus), especially at night. Avoid living in these areas or even hanging out in these areas.
Correction: I mixed up North and South.
I graduated in 2006 from the business school. I ALWAYS took Campus Cruiser when I needed to go off campus after dark, no exceptions. Campus Cruiser is the USC car escort that was clearly marked “Campus Cruiser”. I lived on 29th and Ellendale for about seven months and even though this area is populated overwhelmingly with SC students, gangs and thugs still roam this part of the ‘hood.
After moving to Pasadena, I parked off campus on 29th and Hoover since most students live in this area and I didn’t want to pay the parking fees to park on campus. I always called Campus Cruiser to take me to my car after class. Pasadena is a great area to live for SC students since you can take the Metro during the day and if you need to go on campus at night, it’s only a 20-25 minute drive.
Be careful, do not live by campus like these students, and ALWAYS use the Campus Cruiser!
I applied to USC last year, and one of my qualms with the school was its safety issues west of campus after say 10pm. Sure, if you are black and a middle class family living in a neighborhood full of minority middle class families, chance is you’ll be fine. But if your a rich white/black/asian whatever USC student driving around at 1am in a dangerous part of town, the likelihood of you getting robbed/raped/murdered increases, that’s a fact. So yeah we may be privileged and thats exactly why people get pissed off and thats exactly why people rape, murder and rob us. Why would you rob a poor person? You wouldn’t. Why would you murder two, probably wealthy, asians? Because rich people piss off poor people. If parents of USC students are too blind to instruct their sons and daughters not to drive around in neighborhoods where us privileged folk are not common then your not doing your job. Theres a reason Elon students don’t drive around in burlington late at night…and it’s the same reason why USC students shouldn’t be driving around in neighborhoods where they are not welcome.
While I agree with much that you have said, hello? USC is mixed with its community – living next to campus is not always possible. If you actually came here, you would understand.
I am a parent of a usc student , I love the school but this is the schools responsibility as someone else said for affordable safe housing and protection in the surrounding neighborhood. these students deserve safety in crossing streets, affordable housing and safety to get to their housing..
I have a friend whose son was just accepted to the university.. i had pushed usc and now I do not until usc protects their students from robbery , assault, rape, getting hit and killed crossing the streets and now gunned down and murdered. of the few friends I have that their kids go to USC now. 1 was raped, 1 was robbed and beat up and left unconscience in an alley, another one was just robbed in his own house just a block off campus. enough is enough . my heart and my prayers go to the family and their friends, I am so saddened today.
It is not fair for these kids to work their whole life to get in a good school, choose USC when they had other options and then to have to not be safe to walk or drive like any one deserves to be. shame on you USC. keep the students safe… too many crimes! too many victims.
I agree with you USC needs to provide affordable parking spots for students in safe areas. This would be easy to do immediately so students dont have to park and walk so far away. The tuition is expensive enough. They ought to be able to throw in some free parking on campus where the students feel safe.
My son is considering a transfer to USC from UC Berkeley. I’ve heard all the rumors about the “bad neighborhood” and have looked at crime stats online and it doesn’t look encouraging. However, I have driven around late and night and like the heavy security presence on most street corners. I’m sure everyone has different experiences, but what’s the real feel in the area?
This is such disheartening news–my thoughts are with the victims’ families. I graduated from USC last year. The first year, I lived at the Radisson hotel dorms, which weren’t so bad–aside from my tires getting slashed in the “secure” parking structure and getting 2 bikes stolen; however, when I moved a block off campus (near 36th street and Catalina), it was very dangerous. My roommates and I called in a mugging that we heard going on outside once. I moved out of the area there after only a year, which I’m glad I did since two non-usc student related shootings happened on the corner near my old apartment the following year.
The campus itself is safe–there were only 1 or 2 instances of muggings on campus during my time there (most late in the evening), and there are many campus security and LAPD cars patrolling the areas; however, I would suggest that if your son cannot live on campus, you look at nicer apartment complexes downtown or even in another area entirely (I moved to the South Bay and decided the commute was worth the added level of safety). There’s nothing wrong with being overly cautious–stories like this are so sad :(
Sorry–I should also throw the disclaimer out there that while the above detailings were MY personal thoughts/experiences, it should not serve to classify the area as a whole. I’m sure others living on that street and in the surrounding area may say they’ve had no issues. So I am simply sharing my personal experience living off campus near USC.
Thank you.
The university campus is relatively safe and the immediate streets around campus are patrolled regulary by LAPD and USC DPS. Go beyond these streets and it’s the wild west, especially after dark. As others have stated, anything west of Vermont is unsafe. USC is in the heart of south central, now known as south LA to be politically correct. It’s the haves vs the have nots, plain and simple. If your son transfers, I would suggest commuting from South Pasadena, a nice community about 12 miles from campus right off the 110 freeway.
I’m not a USC student but from looking at the L.A Times Homicide report for that area, it seems true that on campus is much safer than off and certain points seem worse than others.
L.A Times Homicide report for that area.
http://projects.latimes.com/homicide/search/?lat=34.030912&lng=-118.298108&d=2&g=Geocoder.ca&address=2700+Raymond+Ave%2C+Los+Angeles%2C+CA+90007%2C+USA
Im personally surprised that USC posted this on its homepage, given its blatant effort to hide the multiple rapes that have occurred near campus, but then again has sent out an e-mail to our whole school about the clearly senile African American male walking through a crowd with an erect penis.
He was hispanic. Do you have any data regarding the multiple rapes?
regarding rapes, just heard that a usc student, recently left the library, went to cross the street, was thrown into a white van, brutally beaten , raped multiple times, then thrown out to die alone on a street.. thank God she lived, tell the truth USC. about all the rapes.
usc enough.! everything needs to be on trojan alert!
george washington university has a crime alert everything, all day, is on, ie: students purse stolen at this location, by a man wearing this .. fitting this description at this time.. let these kids know what is going on . they deserve to be warned and to be safe. their parents deserve their children that they love, to be safe. this is another sad day. God bless the family .
we do get these crime alert weekly. we do receive robberies and rape crime alerts
So you “heard” about this rape? The USC Department of Public Safety (campus police) DOES have a crime alert system in place, exactly like the GWU one you described. Did you know this? I regularly receive these alerts in my inbox.
This crime is horrible but ignorant, misinformed ranting like yours isn’t helping anyone.
As a new international student who just accepted the offer from USC. I felt so bad! I am not sure about my decision any more! Please, please let us know more about the safety issues of USC.
This was a random act of violence that could have happened anywhere. This is NOT a common occurrence or something anyone expected to happen. It was a senseless act of violence, but it does not reflect the overall safety of the campus or the neighborhood surrounding USC. I have lived West of campus for 2 years, and I have felt perfectly safe the entire time–I have never encountered any real problems and I have never had my physical safety threatened. Don’t base your decision to come/not come here on this one incident.
just because you were unharmed doesn’t mean it IS safe. while not every USC student gets robbed, everyone does have a chance of getting robbed around USC. please use extra precaution. take campus cruiser/tram after 6pm. do not wander around after 10pm at night and live north of campus.
And just because two students were shot in one isolated incident doesn’t mean the entire community is UNSAFE.
While some students are robbed around USC, everyone has the chance of getting robbed *anywhere they go*. Violence and crime happen everywhere. The area around USC is not special in some way.
Sure, take Campus Cruiser or the tram if you want. Or just ride your bike. Or commute to campus. Or walk with friends. Or just pay attention and be vigilant, as you would walking alone anywhere…
really, you think USC surrounding area is safe? I think statistics, law enforcements and the school would disagree with you. Crime is higher in USC compared with UCLA, Cal, Stanford, etc. that is a fact.
I can walk around westwood alone at night no problem.
Heyhey, if you have been in usc long enough( like one semester), you will know everyone expects such things to happen.
This is the most important advice – Steer clear of the surrounding neighborhoods. It’s not safe.
I used to work at USC and I have to add that the area is not really safe. I used to work with international students in particular, and they were the most vulnerable. Clearly, the university needs to provide affordable, safe housing for its international grad students. Unfortunately, acts of violence are anything but uncommon in the area.
Let’s face it, one of the reason that usc has so many international students is making more money. Providing affordable anything isn’t making any sense
that is very true. coming from hong kong where guns are banned and violent crimes are low, i never understood how dangerous the US can be until i lived here. prior my arrival to LA, i kept hearing/reading that “usc area is really ghetto” but i didn’t understand exactly what that meant. even when i lived in dorms my first year, i didn’t realise how DANGEROUS the surrounding area was. i thought ghetto = ugly looking and not pretty suburban but i didn’t think about the crimes committed…the crime alerts definitely helped me grasp that.
Sarah. Since you are an international student you need to know that if you come to USC you will be living in a very large city that is full of all kinds of people and tons of crime. Dont come here to California and flaunt your wealth. In other words dont bring expensive jewelry- students dont wear it. Dont let your parents buy you a brand new fancy car either. A fancy car will just make you a target to robbers and also people who are jealous. Try to blend in. Most students can’t afford new cars let alone a new imported one. If you do need a car buy an affordable American made car that wont attract attention. Like a Ford or a Chevy, a Jeep. You may not like them but they will be good enough for the next 4 years while you are in college. Also dont get a red car either. Another scream for attention. Read what all the other comments on this bblog say about where to live. Pay attention to the USC safety recomendations. If your parents can afford to pay for your USC tuition then they should be able to afford housing on the safer sides of off campus housing. Live on campus as long as you are able. Carry Mace. You might even want to consider taking self defense classes before you arrive.
Sarah, I would suggest you find another school. This type situation is challenging for American students, but much worse for International students who do not really grasp American culture from a lifetime of living it. There are about 3000 institutions of higher learning in the USA, many of which offer as superior an education as USC. Unless you are a graduate student coming to USC to work specifically with a famous professor, I think you could do just as well going to a school like the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, Rice University, The University of Virginia, or Emory. It is just not worth risking your life to attend USC when the surrounding neighborhood is so unpredictable. If you want to get a good job after college, you need to be alive to find one! Please do not kill your parents, friends, and siblings with worry about your well-being in South L.A… Find another school where the crime rate is lower, where you can be happy and successful. Good luck.
well, it just so happens that USC does have the HIGHEST percentage of international students out of all the US universities.
although i have to say, as an international student, i do regret picking USC due to campus safety and lack of things to do around campus. if you got accepted into a better university, do not hesitate to go there. even UCLA, where it is comparable, is a better option because of its surrounding area.
but USC was my top choice in the US so i didn’t really have a choice. hah! but i was stuck in USC without a car for 4 years and it was rather miserable. all i did were house parties which gets boring…and it was a hassle to have someone drive me around.
Such a tragedy! People need also aware that don’t buy/drive around in a luxury car in such neighborhood during nights, don’t make yourself a target! Thugs are less likely to car jack a used Toyota…
RIP. What a tragic loss.
Students, please move to and live in safe neighborhoods!! Students should be told during orientation what are the less safe areas and not to live there.
Wow. F*** all of you.
I really hope the investigation reveals that the shooter was a fellow USC student, just so all of you can choke on your racist, privileged bullsh*t.
Are you kidding me – really, you’re either a fool or a race-baiting scum. Who said anything about race? And yeah, it’s a fellow USC student that pulled the trigger. Look around South Central and tell me who’s got the guns.
You go choke on your own vomit.
How is your statement NOT racist?
Tell me, how do you determine the difference between a USC student and a non-student? I am sure it has *nothing* to do with assuming that anyone white is a student and anyone Black or Latino is a “dangerous thug from the neighborhood.”
Tell me, why do you think South Central is “so unsafe,” even though crime statistics show it to be on par with the rest of the city, and with regard to some types of crime even safer? I am sure it has *nothing* to do with the fact that the neighborhood is predominantly Latino, Black, and Asian families.
Tell me, why is is so implausible that a fellow student may have pulled the trigger? Plenty of violent crimes are perpetrated *by* USC students *against* USC students. Physical assaults and rapes are regular occurrences on any college campus–USC is no exception. And most of those are perpetrated by fellow students.
I look around South Central and see mostly working class families, plenty of young kids going to local elementary and middle schools, and older residents who have lived here for decades.
Tell me, what do YOU see when you look around South Central?
I see lots of dead people. South Central is one of the most violent areas in the country, never mind California.
If you want to be in denial, go ahead. Venture out at night west of Vermont unarmed and see if you make it back safe after an hour. And make sure you ask for the perpetrator who just robbed you his USC student ID.
I would LOVE to see solid statistics to back up ANYTHING you are saying. I live west of campus (and more than a mile SOUTH of the shooting–*gasp*) and I have had zero problems in the 4 years I have been here.
You are a racist asshat with nothing to back up your claims. Take your prejudiced and privileged bullish*t and get out.
http://projects.latimes.com/mapping-la/neighborhoods/violent-crime/neighborhood/list/
here’s the stats.
“are you kidding me” is full of crap. While the facts are not yet out, have you even read a DPS alert/resolution? How many times is it a USC student? Answer from those alerts: about 1 in 50. Those area students are sometimes the perps, so do us all a favor and save your racism b.s. for others as delusional as you are.
racism aside, statistics do support the fact that most of the violent crimes around south central are in committed by blacks and hispanics. that is precisely why cops and TSA does racial profiling.
That is why Zimmerman went berserk and allegedly committed manslaughter as a neighborhood watchman. The blacks need to improve their image because the black community is getting a bad rap from their own rotten apples…and please don’t pass blame on others.
Of course traditional college crimes occur at USC by USC students — no one is suggesting that they don’t. Petty theft, sexual assault, etc. When these things happen, no one assumes it’s a non-USC student who committed them. When a shooting occurs at 1am in an area mostly populated by non-USC students? Yeah, I’m going to assume it’s a non-student.
When we (students) receive Crime Alerts that describe armed robberies, shootings, etc. they are not committed by students. In fact, if you were to receive these Crime Alerts, I think you would see that the “SUSPECT DESCRIPTION”s are fairly standard. I am not racist, but I am observational and guess what — of the hundred or so Crime Alerts I’ve received during my time at USC, 99% of the Suspects have been black or latino males. I am someone with many black and latino friends, but facts are facts. I will not be surprised when this murderer is revealed to be black or hispanic.
If you really thought about what YOU typed, you’d realize that this is not necessarily a racist assumption. Like you said, this “neighborhood is predominantly Latino, Black, and Asian families” — then obviously people who commit crimes are predominantly latino, black and Asian.
This is incredibly tragic. I wish you could recognize the tragedy rather than attacking USC.
DPS doesn’t send out crime alerts for student on student crimes…
do you NOT receive weekly crime alerts from DPS? maybe you should subscribe to it. south central is NOT the same as most areas of the country. and no, south central is not the ONLY unsafe part of los angeles. you are right, the rest of los angeles IS unsafe. including koreatown, vernon, huntington park, etc.
Are you retarded?
Are you kidding me – The mainstream media won’t say the race of the shooter, but everybody knows it’s black. Where’s Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson when you need justice?
When they catch him I hope they send him over to China. They’ll know how to deal with him.
Too many graduate and international students live west of campus because they are not familiar with the area and are in need of affordable housing. When is USC going to step it up and let these students know that the area west of Vermont is not safe? When are landlords north of campus going to stop overcharging for apartments?
The school should reinstate the tram line west of campus.
This is something that could have been prevented. This area has never been safe. Students, please don’t risk your life for the sake of cheap rent! Commute by bus or train from nearby safe neighborhoods if you can’t afford north campus housing.
Students, please, please, please do not venture into the jungle in the middle of the night! Use common sense. You are living in a war zone with a bunch of thugs!
You dont live west of Vermont, south of campus or north of Adams. If you go beyond that, if you are “off the island” and it becomes much less safe. Students should be told this during orientation. USC in generally is safe, but at night, things change. A lot of random locals come by campus, some are up to “no good.” USC students are like an ATM for criminals.
Keyshawn. You have given everyone some very good concrete information. You need to be at orientation talking to students and parents about this- Seriously!
What a senseless and tragic loss. New international students might not be aware of how dangerous the community is, especially after dark. Hopefully someone tells them the truth during orientation and not sugar-coat how “safe” USC is. The campus itself might be relatively safe, but South Central???