Pittsburgh researcher ‘on the verge of’ coronavirus discovery killed in murder-suicide

A Pittsburgh man researching coronavirus was killed in a murder-suicide Saturday, police said.

Bing Liu, 37, was “on the verge of making very significant findings” about the new virus, the University of Pittsburgh, where Liu worked as a research professor, said in a statement.

“We will make an effort to complete what he started in an effort to pay homage to his scientific excellence,” the statement read. “His loss will be felt throughout the entire scientific community.”

Police said Hao Gu, 46, shot Liu to death on Saturday then walked about 100 yards to his car and died by suicide, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The cops said Gu and Liu knew each other before the encounter but did not provide more details.

Liu was killed at his home in Ross Township, about 10 miles north of downtown Pittsburgh, the Post-Gazette reported. Police said they’re still looking for a motive.

The university said Liu was close to “understanding the cellular mechanisms that underlie SARS-CoV-2 infection and the cellular basis of the following complications” at the time of his death.