Listen to an audio story from Annenberg Radio News:
“Whenever young, innocent kids are brutally attacked in the way that they were, you have to say no, not in my city; not in our city,” was the message Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa passed along to members of the USC community at USC’s Town and Gown ballroom Thursday morning.
“What happened a few weeks ago, was something that not only effected the student body, but it really tore at the heartstrings of Angelenos all across the city,” said the mayor.
Ying Wu and Ming Qu, both graduate students from China, were shot and killed around 1 a.m. on April 11 while sitting in a BMW parked in the 2700 block of Raymond Avenue.
As LAPD Chief Charlie Beck outlined, many safety adjustments are being made around the USC community, and it is all coming out of USC’s pocket.
To begin with, 30 police officers will be permanently added to the Southwest division, which patrols the area around USC. And four of these newly added officers will strictly monitor the area directly surrounding USC.
“Their task will be to make sure that the surrounding residential areas of SC, where so many students live, are safe,” said Chief Beck.
And although violence has decreased in the USC area by 27% over the last 2 years, Chief Beck said these safety measures are a necessary precaution.
“This is an awful singular incident, but this is not the trend in the SC area. This is not us trying to catch up, it is us addressing an awful singular incident, and there is nothing wrong with that. It is important to the well-being to all of Los Angeles that USC is successful.”
Additionally, a detective and city attorney will be assigned to focus wholly on the USC area.
Chief Beck was asked about the ongoing investigation. “I am pleased with the progress to date, I won’t predict when we will give an outcome, but I am confident in the detective and investigative process going forward. We will reach a resolution on this,” he said.
No new information has been released.
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