Los Angeles

Prayer Scheduled for USC Professor Stabbed Allegedly by Student

A time of prayer and remembrance is scheduled at noon Monday on the USC campus for a professor who was fatally stabbed, allegedly by a student who is now in custody.

The noon event is planned at the Hahn Plaza at the Tommy Trojan statue and hosted by USC President C.L. Max Nikias, according to the university. It will be led by Varun Soni, USC dean of religious life.

Psychology professor Bosco Tjan, 53, of Cerritos had taught at USC since 2001. The victim, whose full name was Siaufung Tjan, according to Lt. Dave Smith of the Los Angeles County coroner's office, leaves a wife and son.

Tjan was a training faculty member in the USC Neuroscience Graduate Program. He was an expert on perception, vision and vision cognition and helped found the USC Dornsife Cognitive Neuroscience Imaging Center, where he served as co-director, USC officials said.

"We've really lost an incredible mind and extremely generous person,'' said Irving Biederman, Howard Dornsife Professor of Neuroscience and director of the Image Understanding Laboratory. "You could not ask for a better colleague. He was brilliant, knowledgeable and helpful to others.'' 

His alleged assailant was identified as David Jonathan Brown, 28, of Los Angeles, according to Officer Mike Lopez of the LAPD's Media Relations Section. Brown was arrested Friday on suspicion of murder and his bail was set at $1 million, Lopez said.

The stabbing was reported at 4:30 p.m. Friday at the Seeley G. Mudd building in the 3600 block of McClintock Avenue, authorities said. Tjan, who was stabbed in the chest, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to Margaret Stewart of the Los Angeles Fire Department.

The USC Department of Public Safety said Brown was arrested without incident.

"This was not a random act of violence," according to a statement posted on the department's website. "The Los Angeles Police Department believes this was the result of a personal dispute.''

The killing occurred on the final day of classes before finals.

Copyright CNS - City News Service
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