Pair plead not guilty to killing Chinese students near USC
Source: Agencies |
July 20, 2012, Friday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
TWO men pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to killing a pair of Chinese graduate students gunned down in a car near the University of Southern California.
The long-delayed arraignment of Bryan Barnes, 20, and Javier Bolden, 19, cleared the way for further proceedings in a murder case that has drawn international attention.
The men are charged with the April 11 shooting of engineering students Qu Ming and Wu Ying in a car about 1.5 kilometers from campus.
Prosecutors believe the killings took place during a robbery. They will decide later whether to seek the death penalty.
Public defenders representing the two men sought a gag order, complaining that police and the district attorney's office had been releasing too much information about the case. The judge did not address the matter.
A September 20 hearing was set to schedule a preliminary hearing.
Yu Xiong, who is in charge of overseas Chinese affairs at China's Consulate General in Los Angeles, told Xinhua news agency that the consulate hoped the suspects would be put on trial as soon as possible.
The shootings caused fear and rage in USC and other universities in southern California, where students from China launched a "Protect Our Safety" campaign.
More than 7,000 people have signed their names via the Internet in support of the victims and their families, as well as to call for school safety.
School safety
Wang Haowang, chairman of the Chinese students' and scholars' union in southwest America, told reporters that school safety was not only the concern of Chinese students but also for the whole international student community as well as the USC and its neighboring areas.
"The tragedy did fall on the two Chinese students and it is likely to fall on others in the future," Wang said, adding that he hoped the public could pay more attention to the case and make joint efforts to improve school safety.
Julia Liu, a close friend of Qu's, and also a USC graduate student, said the victim's family were hoping for the most severe punishment for those responsible.
The two suspects were arrested on May 18. They were facing charges of capital murder and other counts, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office announced earlier.
The Chinese students were gunned down in the 2700 block of Raymond Avenue near the USC campus, where the female victim once lived, during a suspected robbery at around 1am.
Wu was found shot in the front passenger seat of the car. Qu tried to run and call for help, but collapsed and was found on a nearby porch, Los Angeles police said.
The suspects are also charged with attempted murder for allegedly shooting a 20-year-old man at a party last December.
Barnes is also charged with an additional count of attempted murder and assault with a semiautomatic firearm during another south Los Angeles party on February 12.
Police alleged that shell casings tied the suspects to both the USC fatal shootings and the earlier murder bids.
The long-delayed arraignment of Bryan Barnes, 20, and Javier Bolden, 19, cleared the way for further proceedings in a murder case that has drawn international attention.
The men are charged with the April 11 shooting of engineering students Qu Ming and Wu Ying in a car about 1.5 kilometers from campus.
Prosecutors believe the killings took place during a robbery. They will decide later whether to seek the death penalty.
Public defenders representing the two men sought a gag order, complaining that police and the district attorney's office had been releasing too much information about the case. The judge did not address the matter.
A September 20 hearing was set to schedule a preliminary hearing.
Yu Xiong, who is in charge of overseas Chinese affairs at China's Consulate General in Los Angeles, told Xinhua news agency that the consulate hoped the suspects would be put on trial as soon as possible.
The shootings caused fear and rage in USC and other universities in southern California, where students from China launched a "Protect Our Safety" campaign.
More than 7,000 people have signed their names via the Internet in support of the victims and their families, as well as to call for school safety.
School safety
Wang Haowang, chairman of the Chinese students' and scholars' union in southwest America, told reporters that school safety was not only the concern of Chinese students but also for the whole international student community as well as the USC and its neighboring areas.
"The tragedy did fall on the two Chinese students and it is likely to fall on others in the future," Wang said, adding that he hoped the public could pay more attention to the case and make joint efforts to improve school safety.
Julia Liu, a close friend of Qu's, and also a USC graduate student, said the victim's family were hoping for the most severe punishment for those responsible.
The two suspects were arrested on May 18. They were facing charges of capital murder and other counts, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office announced earlier.
The Chinese students were gunned down in the 2700 block of Raymond Avenue near the USC campus, where the female victim once lived, during a suspected robbery at around 1am.
Wu was found shot in the front passenger seat of the car. Qu tried to run and call for help, but collapsed and was found on a nearby porch, Los Angeles police said.
The suspects are also charged with attempted murder for allegedly shooting a 20-year-old man at a party last December.
Barnes is also charged with an additional count of attempted murder and assault with a semiautomatic firearm during another south Los Angeles party on February 12.
Police alleged that shell casings tied the suspects to both the USC fatal shootings and the earlier murder bids.
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