22-year-old Javier Bolden was reportedly convicted Monday of first-degree murder after being found guilty of shooting and killing two Chinese graduate students near the University of Southern California campus, according to the Associated Press.
In February, Bolden's friend, Bryan Barnes, who also shot into the car that had Ming Qu and Ying Wu in it, reportedly pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree murder and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Fathers of the two victims reportedly came to speak at Barnes' sentencing. The two parents reportedly stated that their son and daughter were in love and had plans to get married before they were killed near USC.
Xi Yong, father of Ying Wu, reportedly stated that her killing "shattered the dream and hope of our entire family into pieces and pushed us into the abyss of end-less pain."
After news broke that the Chinese students were killed near campus, concern about the safety of students who are studying abroad was sparked. The recent deaths have reportedly led USC to provide more protection around campus.
USC has reportedly added 60 security cameras, including some license plate readers, for a total of 178 cameras in a 1.8-square-mile area after the Chinese couple was killed.
Bolden reportedly admitted to the murder of the 23-year-old engineering students during a wiretapped phone conversation in which Barnes asked Bolden if he remembered the time they "ran up on them little Asian people," according to the LA Times. Bolden reportedly responded with "mmnh-mmnh' when Barnes continued to mention the details from the shooting.
"He's admitting to these murders in that conversation," stated Deputy District Attorney Dan Akemon.
During the course of the trial, jurors also reportedly watched a video of Bolden bragging about the shootings to his cellmate, who was actually a police informant. Bolden's attorney, Andrew Goldman, reportedly claimed that his client had made almost everything up to appear tough in front of his older cellmate.
"Of course he's going to puff. Of course he's going to exaggerate," stated Goldman.
Bolden could reportedly face life in prison without the possibility of parole when he is sentenced on November 17.
