Tearful mother of slain USC student: 'My son, my son, my son'

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Supporters of slain USC student Xinran Ji, in photo, gather for a press conference after the arraignment of Jonathan Del Carmen, Andrew Garcia, Alberto Ochoa and Alejandra Guerrero in downtown Los Angeles. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

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Supporters of slain USC student Xinran Ji, in photos, gather for a press conference after the arraignment of Jonathan Del Carmen, Andrew Garcia, Alberto Ochoa and Alejandra Guerrero in downtown Los Angeles. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

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Family attorney Rose Tsai, right, and many other supporters showed up to show their support for victim Xinran Ji outside court. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

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Students bring white flowers to the memorial service to honor Xinran Ji. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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Xinran Ji in a photo displayed at the memorial service for the slain USC graduate student. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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Jinhui Du, center, mother of USC Chinese graduate student Xinran Ji, 24, is escorted by family members into Universal Chung Wah Funeral Home in Alhambra. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

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Songbo Ji, left, and Jinhui Du, fourth from left, parents of USC graduate student Xinran Ji, 24, break down during a press conference outside of the Universal Chung Wah Funeral Home in Alhambra. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

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Relatives of Andrew Garcia talk with the media after he, Jonathan Del Carmen, Alberto Ochoa and Alejandra Guerrero appeared in court, accused of killing USC grad student Xinran Ji. Left to right are Garcia’s father Cresencio Garcia Jr., sister Rosemary Garcia, mother Rosalie Garcia and brother Chris Garcia. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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LAPD Cmdr. Andy Smith announces the arrests in connection with the killing of USC student Xinran Ji at the Los Angeles Police Department’s Comstat room. (Jabin Botsford / Los Angeles Times)

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USC students walk by blood on the sidewalk on Orchard Avenue between 29th and 30th streets near USC after an attack that killed a graduate student. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)

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A USC Public Safety vehicle sits in front of the apartment building where USC engineering graduate student Xinran Ji was found dead. He was the victim of a brutal assault, police said. (Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)

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LAPD detectives do a follow-up investigation in front of the apartment building where University of Southern California engineering graduate student Xinran Ji was found dead. (Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)

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LAPD Lt. Andy Neiman says the fatal attack on a USC graduate student may have been a crime of opportunity, but it’s unclear whether the victim was robbed. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)

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The scene outside an apartment near USC where a graduate student was found dead inside. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)

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A USC student was found dead in an apartment near campus. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)

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LAPD officers investigate around the apartment building where a USC Chinese graduate student was found dead. He was the victim of an assault a few blocks from campus, the university said Thursday. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)

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A USC graduate student from China was found dead at an apartment in the University Park area north of campus. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)

By Rosanna Xia

and Kate Mather

July 31, 2014 4:59 PM PT

The mother of the USC graduate student killed near campus last week could barely stand as relatives addressed reporters for the first time Thursday outside an Alhambra funeral home.

Jinhui Du, dressed in black and shaded by large sunglasses, kept crying as a cousin spoke about Du’s 24-year-old son, Xinran Ji.

“My son, my son, my son,” Du cried in Chinese. “How can I live when you are gone?”

Ji’s father, Songbo Ji, kept his eyes clenched shut, shaking his head in grief as he held onto his wife.

Delayed by visa issues, the couple arrived in the U.S. from China late Wednesday nearly a week after their son was fatally attacked near the USC campus. Los Angeles police said Ji, an engineering student, was walking home from a study group about 12:45 a.m. on July 24 when he was beaten with a bat.

Despite a head injury, police said Ji managed to make his way back to his apartment. His roommate found his body later that morning.

Four teenagers -- ages 16 to 19 -- have been charged with murder in connection with Ji’s death.

On Thursday, relatives clasped each other tightly as they addressed more than three dozen reporters outside the funeral home. A cousin, Lisheng Liu, said Ji was very ambitious, and had plans to pursue his Ph.D. in the U.S. after earning his master’s degree.

“Since he was in elementary school, Xinran was passionate, he was dedicated, he was outstanding,” Liu said in Chinese.

After graduating from the prestigious Zhejiang University, Ji had a job opportunity in China, Liu said.

“But he wanted to do better,” he said. “He chose to come here to study.”

Ji’s father, a college professor, and mother, a hospital worker, put their life savings into supporting their son’s wish to study in America. They were excited to see him graduate one day, Liu said.

The couple last saw their son over winter break. They wanted him to come home for the summer, Liu said, but because he wanted to graduate early, he asked if he could stay to take a summer class.

The university called the couple with the news about 3 a.m. Beijing time. They didn’t believe it, Liu said, until the Chinese consulate called four hours later.

The family met with USC officials Thursday morning and toured the campus, stopping by their son’s apartment and meeting his professors.

A memorial at USC was scheduled for Friday.

Follow @RosannaXia and @katemather for more updates on this story.