Murder of Kevin Jiang

Murder of Kevin Jiang
Attack type
Shooting
WeaponsGun
VictimKevin Jiang
PerpetratorsQinxuan Pan

Kevin Jiang was an American graduate student at Yale University who was fatally shot by Qinxuan Pan in New Haven, Connecticut on February 6, 2021.

Background

Pan was born on April 16, 1991.[1] In 2009, he represented the USA in the International Mathematical Olympiad in Bremen, Germany, where he won a silver medal.[2]

Jiang was born in Seattle, Washington, on February 14, 1994, to parents of Chinese ancestry. Before pursuing his master's degree in environmental science at Yale, Jiang attended North Seattle College and the University of Washington, where he graduated magna cum laude. He served in the US Army National Guard as an environmental scientist and engineering officer. At Yale, he volunteered at a homeless shelter and the Trinity Baptist Church.

On January 30, 2021, he became engaged to Zion Perry, a fellow Yale graduate student.[3]

Death

At around 8:30 p.m. on February 6, 2021, Jiang was shot multiple times at close range after leaving Perry's apartment, in the East Rock neighborhood of New Haven. Neighbors reported hearing at least seven gunshots. Emergency responders were unable to revive him.[4] Approximately 30 minutes after the murder, Pan was found with the stolen vehicle stuck on railroad tracks. Officers did not detain him and arranged for towing assistance. Pan was later identified as a suspect, and a warrant was issued for his arrest on February 26, 2021. He evaded police for three months before being apprehended in Alabama.[5]

Official investigation

On February 10, 2021, New Haven police announced that they were seeking Qinxuan Pan, a PhD candidate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and that they considered Pan to be "armed and dangerous." Pan is a U.S. citizen born in Shanghai, People's Republic of China, and raised in Malden, Massachusetts. The U.S. Marshals Service charged him with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution and interstate theft of a vehicle.[6] Perry told investigators that she had befriended Pan at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, but that they never had a romantic relationship.[7]

In mid-February, Pan was spotted in Atlanta, driving with relatives. On April 8, 2021, Interpol issued a Red Notice requesting[8] Pan's arrest and detention in reference to murder and larceny charges.[9] On May 14, 2021, Pan was apprehended in Montgomery, Alabama, where he was living under the false name "Henry Choi" and in possession of $19,000 cash, his father's passport, and seven cell phones.[10] His bail was set at $20 million.

On December 9, 2022, Pan pled not guilty after Judge Jon Alander determined there was probable cause for the charges filed against him.[11]

On February 27, 2024, Pan pled guilty to the charges, and, as a part of his plea deal, faced up to 35 years in prison without the possibility of probation or parole.[12] The prosecution did not disclose Pan's motive.[13] On April 23, 2024, Judge Gerald Harmon sentenced Pan to 35 years in prison.[14]

References

  1. ^ "Connecticut State Department of Correction – Inmate Information – Pan, Qinxuan". Retrieved 2024-11-23.
  2. ^ "International Mathematical Olympiad – Individual Ranking – Qinxuan Pan". Retrieved 2024-11-23.
  3. ^ Aman, Talat; Brown, Julia (2021-02-08). "'A gift from God': Yale community mourns loss of Kevin Jiang ENV '22". Yale Daily News. Retrieved 2022-12-25.
  4. ^ Bass, Paul; Breen, Thomas (February 8, 2021). "Murdered Student May Have Been "Targeted"". New Haven Independent. Retrieved 2022-12-25.
  5. ^ Maag, Christopher (2024-03-01). "Former M.I.T. Student Pleads Guilty in 2021 Killing of Yale Student". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-03-01.
  6. ^ Gold, Michael (2021-02-11). "A Yale Student Is Killed. An M.I.T. Student Is Wanted for Questioning". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 14 January 2022. Retrieved 2022-12-25.
  7. ^ "Court Documents Reveal Kevin Jiang, Yale Student From Chicago, Was Shot Multiple Times At Close Range". CBS News. 12 June 2021. Retrieved 2022-12-25.
  8. ^ "Interpol: How We Work: Red Notices: View Red Notices". Interpol. Retrieved 2024-07-28.
  9. ^ "Interpol warrant issued for suspect in Yale student's death". AP NEWS. 2021-08-13. Retrieved 2022-12-25.
  10. ^ Murdock, Zach (May 20, 2021). "MIT researcher accused of killing Yale grad student Kevin Jiang held on $20 million bond after facing New Haven judge". Hartford Courant. Retrieved 2022-12-25.
  11. ^ Hardaway, Liz; Backus, Lisa (2022-12-09). "Qinxuan Pan pleads not guilty after judge finds probable cause in Yale graduate student's homicide". New Haven Register. Retrieved 2022-12-25.
  12. ^ Maag, Christopher (2024-03-01). "Former M.I.T. Student Pleads Guilty in 2021 Killing of Yale Student". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-03-01.
  13. ^ Maag, Christopher (2024-03-01). "Former M.I.T. Student Pleads Guilty in 2021 Killing of Yale Student". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-03-01.
  14. ^ Staff (2024-04-24). "Qinxuan Pan Sentenced To 35 Years In Prison". New Haven Independent. Retrieved 2024-06-17.