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2 People Shot to Death Near USC, May Have Been Carjacking Gone Wrong [UPDATED]
Photo by carl ballou via Shutterstock
Two people were shot to death inside a vehicle in the West Adams area, and authorities suspect the killing was a botched carjacking attempt.
Los Angeles Police Department officers arrived to the 2700 block of Raymond Avenue just after 1 a.m. Wednesday, according to City News Service. They found a woman slumped at the wheel of a late model BMW with blown out windows, and the man collapsed on the steps of a nearby home--suggesting he may have gotten out of the car before dying.
Both victims were in their 20s.
This morning, police say the woman is an International student at the University of Southern California and is from China. LAPD Cmdr. Andy Smith says they were not able to confirm any affiliation with the man and USC, however L.A. Now suggests the man, also Asian, was also a USC student.
Smith said that one possible scenario they are investigating is that the killings were a part of a "bungled carjacking." The vehicle was new, and had paper plates. Authorities are working to determine if the vehicle was in motion when the shots were fired, or if someone walked up to the parked vehicle.
One assailant was reportedly seen leaving the scene of the crime.
The shooter is still at large.
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UPDATE 9:06 AM: The Los Angeles Police Department now says both victims of today's early-morning shooting in the West Adams area were USC graduate students from China, reports CNS.
2:55 PM Police have identified the victims as Ying Wu and Ming Qu. More info here.
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