Mourners place flowers at the site where Chinese student Jiang Yue was shot and killed in an apparent road rage incident on Jan 16 in Temple, Arizona. A memorial was held Monday afternoon at the location where more than 200 people, including the victim's fellow students, members of the Chinese community and local residents, gathered to mourn her death. [Photo courtesy of Kristine Liu/chinadaily.com.cn]

David, an ASU teacher who gave only his first name, went with his wife and two children to the memorial service after learning of the tragedy from his students. "We all feel very sad hearing the news. I hope her family will arrive here safely, and we are ready to help them," he told China Daily in Chinese.

Mark Searle, executive vice-president of ASU, called the incident "a senseless act of violence".

"The incident has prompted many students to consider buying guns," said a Chinese student at ASU, who lives near where the crime took place. "A student in my class has six guns. I myself consider buying one, too."

In response to Chinese students' reaction, the Chinese Students and Scholars Association of ASU prepared fliers with safety tips on driving and using guns.

"It is an unusual incident, so don't buy a gun out of panic. The aim of owning a gun is to protect yourself, but it may also pose dangers before you know how to use it," the association advised students considering buying guns, in a statement posted online.

The incident has been trending on Sina Weibo under the hashtag "Chinese student got shot in the US," getting more than 12 million views and 8,500 comments after it was posted on Monday, China News Service reported online.

Some on Weibo referred to a crime in April 2014, when Qu Ming and Wu Ying, both 23 and Chinese engineering graduate students at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, were shot to death ambush-style in the city during a robbery.

Kristine Liu in Tempe contributed to the story.