Pittsburgh Coronavirus Researcher Murdered Close to ‘Very Significant Findings’

bing-liu
University of Pittsburgh

37-year-old assistant professor Bing Liu was found dead in his Elm Court home after a suspected murder-suicide on Saturday.

The Ross Township Police Department is investigating two apparently related shooting deaths. One of these was a published researcher identified as Bing Liu, said to be “on the verge” of a breakthrough in understanding the novel coronavirus, which causes the disease known as “COVID-19.”

Liu was found in his Elm Court apartment on Saturday with gunshot wounds to his head, neck, and torso. A short distance away, another man — acquainted with Liu — was found dead in his car of what appears to be a self-inflicted shot to the head. Authorities believe it was a murder-suicide, though further details remain unknown at the time of this report.

Liu, a research assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, is remembered by his department in an official post to the university’s website. “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,” they wrote.

“We will make an effort to complete what he started in an effort to pay homage to his scientific excellence,” they continued. “His loss will be felt throughout the entire scientific community. Please keep his family, friends, and colleagues in your thoughts. Thank you.”

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