Chinese student at Syracuse University found dead

A Syracuse University student from China was found dead on Sept 30, the victim of an apparent homicide, in DeWitt, New York, according to authorities.

The Onondaga County Sheriff's Office identified the dead man as Yuan Xiaopeng, 23, after discovering his body behind the Springfield Garden Apartments on Caton Drive, near Lemoyne College, on the afternoon of Sept 30. DeWitt is about 8 km from Syracuse.

Detectives are looking for a possible motive for the killing. DeWitt police responded to 911 calls from residents in the apartment complex who reported hearing gunshots, according to dailyorange, a student website.

Police and K-9 dog teams searched the scene near a wooded area. State troopers also attended and entered several buildings, the website said.

Yuan was a junior, studying mathematics at the College of Arts and Sciences.

His Facebook page says he is from Qingdao, Shandong pro-vince, but the local sheriff's office and university said he is from Beijing.

A black Chevrolet Camaro, believed to be Yuan's car, with custom license plates that read "SWAG PIP" was found in a parking lot near where his body was found, syracuse.com reported. Yuan's Facebook page has a photo of him sitting in a car fitting that description.

Yuan's last Weibo post, on Sept 29, was a group photo of him and his basketball team. By 8pm on Monday, more than 150 people had commented on the social media site, some posting "RIP" with a candlelit emoji underneath.

Kate, a Chinese student who has been in Syracuse for two years and declined to give her full name, said: "I didn't know Yuan in person, but it's so sad when someone just passes away in your neighborhood. And it's not just him. Since I came here, there have been several deaths among Chinese students on campus."

The Chinese Consulate General in New York has contacted local police and the university. The consulate also sent out a notice on Monday aimed at raising safety awareness.