Two Chinese students were killed Wednesday in a shooting which could have been a failed carjacking in Los Angeles, police said.

The male and female students from the University of Southern California (USC) were shot overnight while sitting in a double-parked BMW in an area southwest of downtown Los Angeles, said the LA Police Department (LAPD).

The victims, in their early 20s, suffered multiple gunshot wounds, said LAPD spokesman Carlton Brown. The female victim was found slumped in the passenger seat, while the man was on the steps of a nearby house.

The motive for the shootings was unclear, but it may have been a bungled carjacking, he said. One attacker was seen leaving the scene. "We're trying to figure out if it was car-to-car or if someone walked up on them," said Brown.

Los Angeles has a large Chinese and Chinese-American population, including many students. Certain areas of the city are known for frequent gun violence.

The Chinese consulate did not immediately respond to a request for more information. Police said next of kin were being informed.

【新闻快讯】枪击案发生在在当地时间11号凌晨1点多。两名中国留学生在南加大校园附近的雷蒙德街遭枪击。

遇害的两名中国学生学生女生名叫吴颖，男生叫瞿明，两人都是电子工程系研究生。洛杉矶警方的消息称，遇害者驾驶的是一辆银灰色宝马3系轿车。驾驶座位的玻璃被子弹击碎，女生在车内头部中弹身亡，男生头部中弹两枪，入院后不治身亡。在事发地点雷蒙德街2717号门前，还能看到男生逃出汽车呼救时留下的血迹。目前，警方正在透过南加大校方以及中国驻洛杉矶总领事馆联系遇害者家属。

这起案件是近年来南加大附近传出的起中国留学生遭枪击身亡案件，许多留学生对事件感到震惊。警方表示，涉案的是一名男子，但没有提供这名嫌犯的体貌特征。目前警方已经封锁了附近地区，并向知情人了解情况。