It was the first time Li Rong traveled outside of China, but as she said at a memorial service hosted by the University of Chicago (UChicago) on Thursday, it was not for sightseeing or a graduation ceremony: she was there to attend the funeral of her beloved son – Zheng Shaoxiong – a UChicago graduate killed 10 days ago during a robbery near campus.

"I am wearing the fragrance you bought me today. I believe you can smell it," Li said of the gift she received from her son two days before he was fatally shot on a sidewalk in Chicago's Hyde Park. 

Li shared the happy memories she has with her son and thanked the people who had offered her help following Zheng's death. "You give me warmth and consolation in the darkest time of my life... Give me the courage to overcome difficulties to bring my son home," she said. 

For those close to him, bringing solace to Zheng's family was the best way to honor him, as he had always been there to help others.

"Every time you asked him a question, he tried his best to help you. I think he spent a lot of time on that," Nan Jiang, a close friend from high school, told UChicago News. "No matter what, he always had an encouraging word. And I think that wasn't just for me. It was everyone he had contact with."

According to fellow students at UChicago, Zheng was an active proponent of personal safety, always giving others tips on how to stay safe before he fell victim to gun violence himself.

Police have detained an 18-year-old suspect, who approached Zheng with a gun and demanded property on November 9. Zheng was shot in the chest and was later pronounced dead after being rushed to UChicago Hospital.

The 24-year-old, who had just graduated with a master's in statistics, was also remembered as an outstanding scientist constantly on the quest for knowledge. 

"He aspired to solve important problems facing our society, and to 'help people help more people,'" Mei Wang, senior instructional professor at UChicago and director of the master's program in statistics, told UChicago News. "He was a passionate student and a curious scholar. He loved the atmosphere of the University – the way that everyone in the department was equally open to debating processes of reasoning and statistical methods."

At the memorial, UChicago President Paul Alivisatoscalled Zheng's killing "a sad and difficult time for the University of Chicago community." 

"We are heartbroken by this tragic and senseless loss, which has been felt deeply by our community, both here in the United States and around the world," he said.

The Chinese American Association at Greater Chicago set up a crowdfunding campaign to cover Zheng's family's travel and legal expense. It raised over $300,000, well above the intended goal of $25,000, and was closed Monday as per the request of Zheng's mother.

Born in southwest China's Sichuan Province, Zheng began his postgraduate studies at UChicago after finishing his Bachelor's at Hong Kong University. Both his parents arrived on Thursday at Chicago's airport, where Zheng's girlfriend greeted them, members of the local Chinese community and representatives from UChicago. 

Earlier this week, hundreds of students and faculty members gathered on the UChicago campus, calling for justice and better security.

Han Jiaxiu, one of the rally organizers, told CGTN that while there are already safety measures in place, an upgrade is critical, especially for international students on campus.

The university published a letter addressing Chinese students and their families following the shooting incident. It said the school has taken multiple immediate measures and will work with the municipal government to formulate new campus safety programs.

Deadly violence in Chicago has seen a sharp spike since last year. According to NBC Chicago, the number of homicides recorded in the first half of both 2020 and this year reached a little more than 330, an increase of over 30 percent from the entire year of 2019.