A 37-year-old China native and “outstanding researcher” at the University of Pittsburgh, who was “on the verge” of a breakthrough in understanding COVID-19, was shot dead in his home on Saturday.
Daily Mail reports – Dr. Bing Liu, 37, was alone at his home in the 200 block of Elm Court in Ross Township on Saturday afternoon when another man – identified as 46-year-old Hao Gu – allegedly entered the residence through an unlocked door and opened fire.
Liu was struck by bullets in the head, neck, and torso, and died of his injuries.
His wife was not home at the time of the homicide, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported. The couple do not have children.
Police said Gu then returned to his car parked 100 yards away at Charlemagne Circle and turned the gun on himself.
Liu’s wife told the Post Gazette that both of her husband’s parents live in China.
Mr. Liu earned his doctorate at the University of Singapore in 2012. He came to the U.S. and worked as a postdoctoral fellow at Carnegie Mellon University under renowned computer scientist Edmund M. Clarke, a 2007 Turing Award recipient, according to Mr. Liu’s online resume.
NYP reports – Police believe Liu and the suspected gunman, identified as 46-year old Hao Gu, knew each other — although their connection is not believed to be related to Liu’s research. Liu’s death appears to be a homicide but a motive remains unclear, police told the outlet.
“We haven’t had anything at this point that has come to the investigation that has anything to do with Mr. Liu’s employment or his research,” Ross Township Detective Brian Kolhepp said.
In a statement about Dr. Bing’s death, the University of Pittsburg School of Medicine said: “Bing was on the verge of making very significant findings toward understanding the cellular mechanisms that underlie SARS-CoV-2 infection and the cellular basis of the following complications.” The university added, “We will make an effort to complete what he started in an effort to pay homage to his scientific excellence.”
A doctor from China, who is on the verge of a major breakthrough related to COVID-19, is suddenly shot and killed in his apartment, and his alleged shooter kills himself. Am I the only one who finds this story to be a bit curious?
