Murder of Kevin Jiang

Kevin Jiang was a Chinese-American graduate student at Yale University who was fatally shot by Qinxuan Pan in New Haven, Connecticut on February 6, 2021.

Background
Jiang was born in Seattle, Washington on February 14, 1994. Before pursuing his master's degree in environmental science at Yale, Jiang attended North Seattle College and the University of Washington, where he graduated magna cum laude. He served in the US Army National Guard as an environmental scientist and engineering officer. At Yale, he volunteered at a homeless shelter and the Trinity Baptist Church.

On January 30, 2021, he became engaged to Zion Perry, a fellow Yale graduate student.

Death
At around 8:30 p.m. on February 6, 2021, Jiang was shot multiple times at close range after leaving Perry's apartment, in the East Rock neighborhood of New Haven. Neighbors reported hearing at least seven gunshots. Emergency responders were unable to revive him. Approximately 30 minutes after the murder, Pan was found with the stolen vehicle stuck on railroad tracks. Officers did not detain him and arranged for towing assistance. Pan was later identified as a suspect, and a warrant was issued for his arrest on February 26, 2021. He evaded police for three months before being apprehended in Alabama.

Official investigation
On February 10, 2021, New Haven police announced that they were seeking Qinxuan Pan, a PhD candidate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and that they considered Pan to be "armed and dangerous." Pan is a U.S. citizen born in Shanghai, China and raised in Malden, Massachusetts. The U.S. Marshals Service charged him with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution and interstate theft of a vehicle. Perry told investigators that she had befriended Pan at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, but that they never had a romantic relationship.

In mid-February, Pan was spotted in Atlanta, driving with relatives. On April 8, 2021, an international warrant was issued for Pan on murder and larceny charges. On May 14, 2021, Pan was apprehended in Montgomery, Alabama, where he was living under the false name "Henry Choi" and in possession of $19,000 cash, his father's passport, and seven cell phones. His bail was set at $20 million.

On December 9, 2022, Pan pled not guilty after Judge Jon Alander determined there was probable cause for the charges filed against him.

On February 27, 2024, Pan pled guilty to the charges, and, as a part of his plea deal, faced up to 35 years in prison. The prosecution did not disclose Pan's motive. On April 23, 2024, Judge Gerald Harmon sentenced Pan to 35 years in prison.