Suspect arrested in fatal shooting of Chinese student near University of Utah

A 24-year-old American man accused of killing a Chinese student near the University of Utah in the western US state of Utah was arrested on Tuesday, police confirmed.

"Suspect in #homicide is in custody," the Salt Lake City Police Department tweeted at about 12:45 p.m local time.

"Austin Boutain, suspect in fatal shooting Monday, has been apprehended. He is now in custody," the University of Utah also texted the news to its students.

Boutain, a white male with a tear drop tattoo on his face as well as tattoos on his neck and an arm, was identified as the suspect in the killing of a 23-year-old Chinese student on Monday night in a failed carjacking attempt near the University of Utah's Salt Lake City campus.

The victim was ChenWei Guo, who was a pre-computer science major and worked as a peer advisor in the university's International Student and Scholar Services Office, Shaw Wood, a Communications Specialist of the university confirmed to Xinhua.

He "was killed in a senseless, random act of violence," Wood said.

Assisted by a helicopter and snipers, hundreds of local and federal law enforcement hunted Boutain all night on campus and the foothills above the university by walking five meters apart through thick brush, but did not located him.

Police disclosed Tuesday that the suspect, who has a criminal history, and his wife may be connected to a recent suspicious death in the state of Colorado.

The Chinese embassy in Washington paid high attention to the incident and expressed sincerely condolences and sympathy to Guo's relatives, a Chinese embassy official told Xinhua.

The Chinese embassy has made contact with police after the incident, which were urged to have timely investigations of the incident.

The Chinese embassy will closely follow the development of the case, and provide assistance for the relatives while they are in the United States, the official said.