Person Of Interest Identified In Yale Student's Killing: PD

NEW HAVEN, CT — Police have named a person of interest in the fatal shooting of Yale University graduate student Kevin Jiang.

Jiang, 26, of West Haven, was found shot to death in New Haven in the East Rock neighborhood on Lawrence Street between Nash and Nicoll streets at around 8:30 p.m. Saturday.

Qinxuan Pan, 29, of Malden, Massachusetts, is wanted for questioning in the case, New Haven Police Department Chief Otoniel Reyes announced Wednesday.

"[Pan] is not a suspect at this time but a person of interest," Reyes said. "I'm not saying he's the shooter at this point."

Pan was last seen at the Best Western motel on Washington Avenue in North Haven, police said. There is a warrant for Pan's arrest involving a car stolen from Massachusetts, according to Reyes.

Reyes said Pan is armed and dangerous and anyone who encounters him should use "extreme caution." Anyone with information on Pan's whereabouts is asked to call New Haven police at 203-946-6304. The department has an anonymous tip line at 1-866-888-8477.

Pan graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and works at the school's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, according to his Facebook profile. He's listed as a Google Scholar.

Kevin Jiang: Army veteran, recently engaged

Jiang was a graduate student at the Yale School of the Environment and days away from his 27th birthday. He was an Army veteran and was recently engaged, according to his Facebook profile.

On Monday night, hundreds attended a virtual vigil for Jiang, according to Yale. A faculty adviser said Jiang was a "voracious learner with a smile that seemed to come from deep inside him.”

The school said Jiang would have completed his master’s degree in environmental science this fall and part of his work included researching fish mercury levels in the Quinnipiac River Watershed. In the Army, he was a tank operator and chemical, biological, radiation and nuclear officer. He was also a member of the Connecticut National Guard's 118th Medical Battalion.

Yale said Jiang worked at a homeless shelter, volunteered at his church and was a mentor to young people.

Greg Hendrickson, Jiang's pastor at Trinity Baptist Church, grieved his death.

“Kevin Jiang was a beloved member of our community with much to look forward to," Hendrickson wrote on Facebook. "He eagerly invited others to church and actively volunteered to serve. Earlier this week, I had agreed to officiate Kevin's wedding. Now, we will be officiating his funeral instead.

"As a community, we are grieving deeply right now. But Kevin lived by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Above all he looked forward to Jesus’ promise of the resurrection from the dead. Though his earthly life was cut short, he used the time that he had on earth to the fullest. His example inspires us to do the same.”

Jiang’s funeral will be held Saturday at 2 p.m. at Trinity Baptist Church, 630 State St., New Haven.