Campus community holds memorial for Chinese graduate shot dead in Chicago

Zheng Shaoxiong, a recent graduate of the University of Chicago who was shot dead in a robbery last week, was remembered as a creative and dedicated researcher at an on-campus memorial on Thursday.

The 24-year-old was fatally shot on Nov 9 in the Hyde Park neighborhood, while he was walking home from campus. The suspect Alton Spann, 18, was charged with first-degree murder, armed robbery, and aggravated unlawful use of a weapon.

A native of Leshan, Sichuan province, Zheng, who also went by the name Dennis, came to the University of Chicago after graduating from the University of Hong Kong. He received a master's degree in statistics in June and wanted to be a data scientist.

While at the university, Zheng also worked as a teaching assistant for an advanced statistics course in the schools of business and public policy.

The hour-long memorial, livestreamed by the university, was attended by university officials, Zheng's professors and his parents who came from China, as well as members of the campus community, where they shared memories of Zheng.

"In addition to being a prominent and enthusiastic scholar, and a valued colleague, Dennis was a dear friend to so many people both here on campus and beyond," said University of Chicago President Paul Alivisatos at the memorial. "I've been told of his kindness, his generosity, the light, and positivity he brought to everything he did."

Zheng was praised for his "creativity" and "dedication" by Dan Nicolae, chair of the statistics department, who collaborated with Zheng on his research thesis on machine learning methods for gene regulatory networks.

"He asked countless questions in and outside of the classroom. He debated on statistical reasoning and statistical methods, and he often challenged the status quo. When faced with adversity, he showed greater determination and emerged stronger," said Nicolae.

Zheng was "a terrific teaching assistant" and "beloved by the students", said Bruce Meyer, a public policy professor who taught an advanced statistics class for which Zheng served as a teaching assistant earlier this year.

"Some of his students emailed me to share their thoughts. One said 'he was the best and most responsible teaching assistant I've ever met'; a second lamented how unfortunate it is that we have lost such a helpful and hardworking person," said Meyer.

Zheng also inspired two students to become teaching assistants in the same class this year. "The life of Dennis Zheng shows us that even a young person can have a lot of impact on others," Meyer said. "He certainly did."

Zheng's mother Rong Li was the last who spoke at the ceremony. "This is the first time that your mom ever traveled outside of China. But this is not for sightseeing, not for attending your graduation ceremony, and not for your wedding, but for your funeral, what a cruel tragedy," said Li to his son in Chinese.

The mother said she was shocked and heartbroken when she learned of his son's death. She said she shared the same anger with thousands of mothers and had the same demand – to bring the murderer to justice.

"I hereby call to action that we need to make sure that every single foreign student's safety be protected, and we must prevent this kind of tragedy from happening again. This is the demand from thousands of foreign students and their families as well," she said.

Zheng is the third student from the university who was killed this year. In January, Fan Yiran, a 30-year-old Chinese doctoral student, was shot dead in a killing spree. In July, Max Lewis was fatally struck by a stray bullet on a train.

Zheng's murder has sparked protests from students demanding more safety measures from the university. The protesters, many of them international students alongside some parents and professors, demand more student buses and annual safety training for students and staff members.

In response to the tragedy, leaders from the University of Chicago and the Chicago Police Department held a discussion on Wednesday to address campus safety and security. Measures the university will take include increasing patrols in the area, increasing use of security cameras and license plate readers, and adding transportation options for the university community.

At Thursday's service, Bian Zhichun, deputy Chinese consul general in Chicago urged Chinese students in Chicago and across the US students to take precautions.

The Chinese government attaches great importance to the safety and lawful rights of its citizens living overseas, said Bian. The Chinese side demanded the US authorities investigate Zheng's murder and take concrete measures to ensure the safety of all Chinese nationals, including Chinese students, she said.

Chinese Ambassador to the US Qin Gang also sent his "deep condolences" to Zheng's parents. "Shocked and dismayed" by Zheng's murder, Qin said, the Chinese Consulate General in Chicago is helping his parents deal with the aftermath. "We call for justice in his case and protection for Chinese people in the US from hatred and xenophobia," he said.