Professor Who Makes ‘Very Significant Findings’ on Covid-19 Killed in Mysterious Murder-Suicide

• Dr. Bing Liu, who was on the verge of sharing “very significant findings” about the novel coronavirus, was shot dead by Hao Gu.
• Police authorities confirmed that Gu also took his own life after committing the crime.
• The two knew each other but the nature of their relationship remains unknown.

A well-respected researcher from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center was shot dead in his home in an apparent murder-suicide, police authorities said. The tragic incident happened on the afternoon of May 2, 2020 when Dr. Bing Liu, 37, was alone in his home in Township, Pittsburgh, when a 46-year-old man identified as Hao Gu allegedly entered inside his unlocked door and shot him.

The bullets struck Liu’s head, neck and torso, and he later died due to his injuries. Apparently, Liu was on the verge of releasing “very significant findings” about the novel coronavirus.

“Dr. Bing was on the verge of making very significant findings toward understanding the cellular mechanisms that underlie SARS-CoV-2 [COVID-19] infection and the cellular basis of the following complications,” the UPMC said in a statement.

The police said that after shooting Liu, Gu went inside the victim’s car which was parked 100 yards away from the house and then shot himself..

Liu’s wife, according to the cops, was not home during the time of the crime. Aside from Liu’s wife, he is survived by his parents who still live in China. Liu and his wife have no children.

Police officials also added that both Liu and Gu knew each other, but authorities would not elaborate further about the nature of their relationship, or even speculate about Gu’s motive of homicide.

However, a CBS news report said the killing of Liu was due to a “lengthy dispute regarding an intimate partner”.

“We have found zero evidence that this tragic event has anything to do with employment at the University of Pittsburgh, any work being conducted at the University of Pittsburgh and the current health crisis affecting the United States and the world,” Pittsburgh Police detective Sgt. Brian Kohlhepp said.

Liu was a research assistant professor in the University of Pittsburgh Medical Centre’s Computational and Systems Biology Department.

According to the statement released by his employer, Liu was an outstanding researcher who has earned the respect of most of his colleagues in UPMC and in the field of science.

“We will make an effort to complete what he started in an effort to pay homage to his scientific excellence,” the statement read.

Liu was a native of China. He earned his bachelor’s degree and PhD in computer science at the National University of Singapore and finished his post-doctorate studies at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh.

The Chinese doctor joined UPMC in 2014. During his stint, he co-authored one book and more than 30 publications. His colleagues said he was known for his reputation as a “prolific researcher and well-regarded mentor” to budding scientists.

His killer, on the other hand, was a medical staff in Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, the Research Gate website stated. Gu graduated in Central China Normal University and earned his PhD at Shanghai Institute for Biological Sciences.