2 arrested in murder of USC students from China

By Samantha Tata, NBCLosAngeles.com

Two young men?were arrested Friday in the killings of two Chinese graduate students, Ying Wu and Ming Qu,?who were shot to death near the University of Southern California campus last month, police said.

Handout / AFP - Getty Images

Arrests were made of two suspects in the killings of Ying Wu, left, and Ming Qu, two University of Southern California students from China who were slain April 11.

Forensic evidence found at the scene of the crime linked the double murder?to two attempted homicides in Los Angeles, leading to the arrest of two suspects,?LAPD?Chief Charlie Beck said Friday.

Bryan Barnes, 20, of Los Angeles, and Javier Bolden, 19, of Palmdale, are being held without bail in connection with the murders of the electrical engineering students from China, Beck said.

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They have been booked for murder and are scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday.

See the original story at NBCLosAngeles.com

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and LAPD?Chief Charlie Beck joined detectives from the criminal gang homicide division for a news conference Friday night, announcing the arrests in the April 11 murders.

Detectives from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and the FBI?worked on the case?with LAPD detectives.

"They left no stone unturned and spared no expense at the solving of this crime,"?Beck said. "People have the right to come this city from anywhere in the world ... without being phased by vicious criminals."

Javier and Barnes have minor records and are not documented gang members, but Beck said authorities believe they have gang affiliations.

The announcement comes one day after the victims' parents filed a wrongful death suit against the university seeking unspecified damages.

Wu and Qu, both electrical engineering students from China, were double parked in a BMW?sedan on Raymond Avenue south of Adams Boulevard late Wednesday, April 11, when a gunman fired at them.

Neighbors in the residential neighborhood, several blocks west of the USC campus, reported hearing shots fired.

The male student, Qu, escaped the car but was shot. He was found on the porch of a nearby residence, apparently seeking help from neighbors.

On April 13, police announced a $125,000 reward, which climbed to $200,000 after the LA?City Council unanimously approved an additional $75,000 reward.

Annual scholarships were established in honor of the students, USC President C.L. Max Nikias said at a campuswide memorial service in April.

Wu and Qu were among the largest foreign student body in the United States.

Nearly 9,000 foreign transplants chose USC?during the 2010-11 academic year, making the campus near downtown Los Angeles top in the nation for international students.

Between Fall 2009 and Spring 2010, enrollment by Chinese students jumped nearly 37 percent, according to that year's enrollment report.

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