Viterbi, LAPD Honor Slain Students
Yannis C. Yortsos, the Dean of USC's Viterbi School of Engineering, led a town hall meeting on campus on Friday in honor of Ying Wu and Ming Qu, the two USC graduate students shot dead late Tuesday night.
Speakers included Yortsos, LAPD Deputy Chief Patrick M. Gannon, LAPD Southwest Captain Melissa Zak, Department of Public Safety Captain David Carlisle and Associate Vice President for Student Affairs Denzil J. Suite. About 50 people, including students, administrators, and police officers, were in attendance.
"I am grieving for the fact that their life was cut short before they were able to develop their potential," Yortsos said.
The LAPD said investigators have been working non stop since 1 a.m. Wednesday to find the suspects, but the "difficult investigation" is limited by "bits and pieces of information." "We believe it is just a matter of time before this is resolved," Carlisle said.
USC Student Affairs addressed future parking and affordable housing opportunities for graduate students, including apartments in the future University Village reserved specifically for graduate students.
The Student Affairs department is communicating with Wu and Qu's families as well as maintaining "constant contact" with the Chinese consulate-- up to three or four times a day, according to Suite. "We've talked to many students who are in pain," Suite said.
Both Yortsos and Carlisle stressed the importance of the Trojan family during this tragedy.
"We are together in this as a family... The Viterbi family helped us have faith, courage, and hope," Yortsos said.
"Bad things can happen to good people... Our two students did absolutely nothing wrong. And in spite of that, they're gone," Carlisle said.
The neighborhoods surrounding USC are becoming increasingly safer every year, according to Carlisle. "Do not judge our neighborhood by one single tragic crime," Carlisle said.
"You have to be aware of surroundings...this didn't deserve to happen to Ying and Ming...it wasn't their fault," Gannon said.
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