Written by Angella Semu
A 37 year-old Chinese researcher at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine was shot dead at his home in Ross Township, north of Pittsburgh, on Saturday just before he cracked a significant findings toward understanding the cellular mechanisms that underlie SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Ross Township police Detective Sgt. Brian Kohlhepp confirmed this in a statement.
Report by Mirror news revealed that a second body, Hao Gu, 46 was discovered in a car less than a mile away just an hour after Liu’s body was discovered.
Dr Liu’s wife was not home at the time of the tragedy and police report revealed that there was no force entry into the home and nothing was stolen.
Investigators believe there is a link between Gu and Liu’s death since the two men knew each other.
Liu, worked as a postdoctoral fellow at Carnegie Mellon University before becoming a research associate at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and co-authored a book and more than 30 publications.
In a statement issued by the university, Dr Bing Liu was described as outstanding researcher and the university has vowed to complete what he started to pay homage to his scientific excellence.
Meanwhile, authorities are investigating the relationship between Gu and Liu’s death and a potential motive for the killing.
