University to hold memorial service for Ming Qu, Ying Wu


By
 in

A memorial for Ming Qu and Ying Wu will be held at 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Shrine Auditorium, President C. L.  Max Nikias announced Tuesday.

Viterbi School of Engineering Dean Yannis Yortsos, Dean of Religious Life Varun Soni and Nikias are set to speak at the ceremony. Members from the Chinese Consulate General of Los Angeles and several students who were friends of Qu, 23, and Wu, 23, will also speak. A string quartet from the Thornton School of Music will provide a musical interlude.

“We are all deeply saddened by these students’ tragic deaths,” Nikias said in a statement. “This will be an opportunity to come together and pay tribute to their lives, as well as their many accomplishments.”

Wu and Qu were gunned down April 11 while sitting in Qu’s car outside of Wu’s residence on Raymond Avenue. Both of them were second-year international graduate students studying electrical engineering. Authorities have yet to arrest a suspect in the case. A $200,000 reward is being offered by USC and the City of Los Angeles for any information leading to an arrest and conviction in the double homicide.

The families of the victims arrived from China on Saturday and are expected to attend the memorial. Wu’s family traveled from the Hunan province of China and Qu’s traveled from the Jilin province.

Soni said the university wanted both families to travel to Los Angeles before he coordinated plans for the memorial.

The memorial is open to the public, doors open at 5:20 p.m. and parking will be available on campus and at the Shrine.