A researcher at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine who was reportedly on the "verge of making very significant" progress in understanding the novel coronavirus, was discovered shot to death over the weekend at a home in Pennsylvania.
Bing Liu, 37, was discovered fatally shot in the neck and head at a home in Ross Township, a small city located north of Pittsburgh, the Allegheny County Medical examiner said in a statement.
Authorities say about an hour after Liu's body was discovered, a second body, identified as Hao Gu, 46, was discovered inside a car less than a mile away, NBC News reported. According to Ross Township police Detective Sgt. Brian Kohlhepp, authorities believe the two men knew one another and that Gu killed Liu before returning to his car, and committing suicide.
Investigators are looking into their relationship and any potential motive for the murder-suicide.
According to a statement from the University of Pittsburgh, Liu worked as a postdoctoral fellow at Carnegie Mellon University before becoming a research associate at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. His work on systems biology was prolific and had co-authored more than 30 papers.
"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," a statement from the school said. "We will make an effort to complete what he started in an effort to pay homage to his scientific excellence."
Photo: University of Pittsburgh