Memorial held for Chinese national killed in Boston bombings

BOSTON (WITI) -- On Thursday evening, April 18th, students and faculty -- many from the Boston University community came together at the arena on campus for a vigil to remember 23-year-old Lingzi Lu. She was in Boston from China, working on a graduate degree in statistics.

On Monday, Lu and a friend headed to Boston's Back Bay neighborhood to watch the Boston Marathon, where her American journey tragically ended.

"It was very upsetting," Samuel Stanton Reed said.

Reed was devastated when he learned the young woman he sat next to in class wouldn't be coming back.

"She was such a sweet girl. I couldn't go to class after that," Reed said.

For many at Boston University, the bombings on Boylston Street have left them with wounds of their own -- emotional wounds -- for the Chinese community, and for everyone.

"All of us at Boston University are profoundly affected. I`m getting pretty choked up by the whole experience.  And I was just quite moved to see the flowers left here," Reed said.

Flowers have been left by friends, and strangers. A student translated one of the cards left to remember Lu: "Wish God will be with you in heaven and  you are surrounded by happiness.  And your friends love you and we we miss you very much."

To let others leave messages, the University's Chinese Scholar and Student Association set posters where people could scribble their sentiments -- one for Lu and one for her friend, who was seriously hurt.

President Obama mentioned Lu when he came to Boston on Thursday -- that her death might bring us all a little closer.

"She was a 23-year-old student, far from home, and in the heartache of her family and friends on both sides of the great ocean, we are reminded of the humanity that we all share," President Obama said.

29-year-old restaurant manager Krystle Campbell was also killed in the bombings. Medical officials say Campbell was unconscious and not breathing when she was brought in, and that medical officials worked on her for 10 minutes before they realized they just couldn't get her heart beating again.