Cornavirus in US: In a shocking incident a Chinese researcher in the University of Pittsburgh who is said to have been on the verge of making a breakthrough in coronavirus research was found dead in a murder-suicide. The young researcher Dr Bing Liu had been shot multiple times in the head, neck and torso in his house and later the suspect was also found dead inside a car few miles away, according to news reports.

Bing graduated from the National University of Singapore and his family lives in China. The doctor, who was attacked on Saturday, was alone in his home in Ross Township, north of Pittsburgh. The killer managed to get inside the home through an unlocked door.

The initial investigation finds nothing stolen from the researcher’s home and there was no forced entry.

The suspect, Hao Gu, an engineer, 46, is alleged to have killed the researcher although detectives are still probing the reason behind the murder and the relationship between the suspect and the researcher.

Both men killed in the incident are Chinese. However, there is no indication that the doctor was targeted due to his (Dr Liu) being Chinese, according to reports.

Both the men have bullets injuries and several bullets have hit the researcher according to the initial media reports. It is not an easy case to solve because both deaths are caused due to bullet injuries. Normally, whether a left-hander or a right-hand person, one cannot shoot himself on the middle of the head to commit suicide, as observed by investigators.

But whatever evidence has come out through initial reports, it raises questions on whether both deaths are as a result of murder or one murder and another suicide. It is only when the investigation is done and forensic experts analyse all evidences it will be clear whether it is a case of suicide or murder.

The 37-year-old researcher worked as a research assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine in the US. It is recently that Liu picked up a research on a Covid-19 and was on the verge of revealing the findings of the research.

In a statement, the university said: "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.

The University has also released a statement in which it praised the young scientist for his work. The statement from the university's Department of Computational and Systems Biology mentioned, “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.”

According to his acquaintance, the doctor was working from home during the outbreak and did not have any children.

In the six years of his research at the university, Bing has co-authored a book and more than 30 publications.

His colleagues at the university's School of Medicine described him as an outstanding researcher and mentor. They have also pledged to complete his research "in an effort to pay homage to his scientific excellence."