$125,000 offered over Chinese students' slaying in US A poster offering a $125,000 reward is seen at a press conference at the crime sc...

$125,000 offered over Chinese students' slaying in US

A poster offering a $125,000 reward is seen at a press conference at the crime scene of a shooting incident in Los Angeles, the United States, April 13, 2012. [Photo/Xinhua]

The Los Angeles Police and University of Southern California (USC) announced a $125,000 reward on Friday for information leading to the arrest and conviction of whoever gunned down two Chinese students Wednesday.

Chief Patrick Gannon, who oversees Los Angeles Police Department South Bureau made the announcement in front of a house on the 2700 block of Raymond Avenue, where the female victim, Ying Wu, once lived.

"To help this effort, we are also announcing a reward provided by the University of Southern California to try to arrest the people responsible for this," he said.

Wu and Ming Qu, both 23 and second-year graduate students, were founded suffering multiple gunshot wounds after paramedics arrived at the scene minutes later. They were sent to a nearby hospital and pronounced dead later.  

The authorities including FBI and the Los Angeles Police Department have been investigating the case. The shooter was determined a male, but it is not known which race he belonged to, Gannon said. He fled southward along Raymond Avenue.

The victims were serious about their studies, often studied late at night. It appears at this point the suspect approached the victim's vehicle, and fired two to three shots into the driver's side. A black sedan was also seen in the area, he added. He asked the public to come forward with any information to help the investigators.

Police presence could also been seen along the Raymond Avenue as of Friday. A mobile police office was parked outside the house where Wu once lived.

Chen Zhunmin, Education Consul from Chinese Consulate General in Los Angeles, said that the reward demonstrated USC's determination to bring the suspect to justice.

The parents and relatives of the victims are scheduled to arrive in Los Angeles Saturday evening, he said, quoting USC sources. Local Chinese scholars and students will help them during their stay in Los Angeles. The Chinese community is also sponsoring a fund raiser, as the victims came from ordinary Chinese families, instead of rich families as some news reports claimed.

The Chinese Consulate General is also planning to hold events to help Chinese students raise awareness of personal safety, Chen said.