Boston University grieves for Lu Lingzi, Chinese student killed by bomb

Three Chinese friends from Boston University went to sample American life at the city’s ill-fated marathon. Lu Lingzi was killed, Zhou Danling was badly hurt and the third wonders how she survived unscathed.

The whole campus has been scarred by the death of Lu, a brilliant rising mathematician, who only arrived at Boston in September, but had immediately launched into life at the prestigious institution.

The three women were among hundreds of people caught in the blast of two bombs that erupted at the finish line, killing three and wounding about 180.

“We are grieving and at a loss for words to describe the pain and sadness  we are experiencing following the sudden passing of our dear daughter, Lingzi.  She was the joy of our lives,” Lu’s family said in a statement.

They thanked the school, as well as the Chinese and US governments and  Boston officials, for their help and expressed gratitude at the outpouring of  support they have received.

Maths department administrator Kathleen Heavey said many students had taken the news badly. “Some of them are handling it OK, and others are beyond control.”