Two charged in Chinese students' killing

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Two men suspected of fatally shooting two Chinese students in the US during a botched robbery were charged on Tuesday with capital murder and other counts, local authorities said.

If convicted of the charges, announced by the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office, Bryan Barnes, 20, and Javier Bolden, 19, might face the death penalty.

The suspects, arrested on Friday and being held without bail, made a brief court appearance in Foltz Criminal Justice Center in downtown Los Angeles, but their arraignment was postponed until June 25.

Sources from the court said the defendants' lawyer argued that he had no time to go over all the information.

The Los Angeles Police Department said they were confident they got the right guys.

Deputy District Attorney Deborah Brazil, with the major crimes division, is prosecuting the case, according to a statement from the district attorney's office.

Barnes and Bolden, both from Los Angeles, are charged with the April 11 murder of Qu Ming and Wu Ying, both 23 and second-year graduate students studying at the University of Southern California .

The crime sent shockwaves through the university community.

The men wore street clothes and answered, "Yes sir," when Superior Court Judge Upinder Kalra asked if they understood the charges against them and waived the requirement for a speedy hearing. Their cases were assigned to the public defender's office.

They also were charged with attempted murder in unrelated shootings of three people at parties in South Los Angeles a few months earlier.

Authorities believe the killings occurred during a robbery, leading to special circumstance allegations that make Barnes and Bolden eligible for the death penalty if convicted. The judge noted these were capital crimes and denied bail.

The district attorney's office will decide later whether to seek the death penalty. Police said shell casings tied the suspects to the shooting of the Chinese students and the other attacks.

In addition to the killing of the students, Barnes and Bolden were charged with the attempted murder of a 20-year-old man who was shot and wounded at a party last Dec 3.

Barnes also was charged with one count each of attempted murder and assault with a semiautomatic firearm at another party on Feb 12.

About the broadcaster:

Nelly Min is an editor at China Daily with more than 10 years of experience as a newspaper editor and photographer. She has worked at major newspapers in the U.S., including the Los Angeles Times and the Detroit Free Press. She is also fluent in Korean.