Thousands of new University of Southern California students moved into multiple residences on and off campus Wednesday as some parents were fearful after a grad student was fatally beaten in a botched robbery near campus.
Kito Jones, mother of an incoming USC student, hopes her son Kimari will be safe.
"This is his first year here," she said. "We are hopeful he won't run into any problems."
The mother's concerns come after the violent deaths of three USC students in the past two years.
Xinran Ji, 24, was fatally beaten with a bat at July 24 in as he walked home off campus from a study group.
Ying Wu and Ming Qu, both 23 and also Chinese graduate students, were fatally shot in a botched robbery as they sat in a car after leaving a library in the early morning hours of April 11, 2012.
Arrests were made in both cases.
The university has added more security officers to patrol the campus and areas where the deadly attacks occurred.
The school has provided dorm advisors and online tip sheets to help students be aware and avoid situations like the ones that Ji, Wu and Qu encountered.
"Safety in numbers," Kimari Jones said. "Always have people to go with you."
