Fudan med student is charged with homicide

A Fudan University medical student, surnamed Lin, was formally charged by the Shanghai procuratorate Thursday with intentional homicide for allegedly killing his roommate with a toxic chemical.

Huang Yang, Lin's roommate, who was also a medical student, was hospitalized after drinking poisoned water in their dorm room on April 2 and died on April 16.

Lin allegedly spiked his dorms drinking water with a toxic chemical compound that he used in an experiment at a university lab, according to a police statement earlier.

Lin plotted the poisoning because of a grudge against Huang over "trivial daily matters," said local police without providing clarifying details.

Police said Lin told them that he poisoned Huang on April 1, and meant it as an April Fool's Day joke.

A police source told the Guangzhou-based Southern Weekly that Lin overheard Huang plotting to play a practical joke on him, so Lin made the first move.

Southern Weekly reported that Lin blocked Huang from his instant messenger QQ about half year ago.

Web users have questioned the university's responsibility in managing hazardous chemicals, but Fang Ming, spokesperson of the university, said that the school conducted a thorough check of its labs and found no irregularities.