Two Chinese students who were shot dead on Wednesday morning in West Adams area near Los Angeles were identified by officials from the University of Southern California (USC).

Ming Qu (L) and Ying Wu leave flowers at the scene where two international students from China were shot dead on Wednesday in a "gang-infested" area near the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, California, April 11, 2012. [Agencies]

The victims were identified as Ms. Ying Wu and Mr. Ming Qu. Both were 23-year-old graduate students studying electrical engineering, according to a statement released by USC officials.

They?were shot and killed while sitting in a car on Raymond Avenue near the intersection of Normandie Avenue and Adams Boulevard outside the school campus, according to the statement.

Wu was found shot in the front passenger seat of the car. Qu tried to run and call for help, but he collapsed and was found on a nearby porch, police said.

Both were rushed to a nearby hospital where they were pronounced dead.

Initial reports said the shooting may have happened during a botched carjacking, but police say the motive is still unknown.

"The Los Angeles Police Department and?our Public Safety are working aggressively to solve this crime,"? the USC statement said.

The police said?a male suspect was seen fleeing the area on foot, but no suspect description was immediately available.

Police were canvassing the area within several blocks, talking to anyone who might have seen anything.

The area has been infested with gang activities, but has been on a large part got rid of the crimes as the security beefed up and gentrification took its hold in recent years.

"Our community is saddened and outraged by this callous and meaningless act," said the statement.

More and more Chinese students are coming to the U.S. for study. Nearly 160,000 Chinese students were studying in the US colleges in 2010/ 11 school year, which is up by 23 percent from the previous year, according to statistics provided by the Council of Graduate Schools.

In USC alone, there are 2,513 Chinese students, accounting for 34.8 percent of international students and representing the single largest group in the school's international students.

China's?Consulate General in Los Angeles said it is planningto host a meeting for Chinese students in L.A. to remind them about taking care of themselves and safety. Representatives from the consulate's education department is visiting USC to have a better understanding of the situation, according to Chinese officials.