Syracuse, NY -- Onondaga County Sheriff Gene Conway has announced the arrest of two people in the robbery and murder of a Chinese college student outside the Springfield Garden Apartments in DeWitt.

Cameron Isaac, 23, of 460 S. Main St., North Syracuse, and Ninimbe Mitchell, 20, 916 Willis Ave., Syracuse, were arrested Thursday in the Sept. 30 shooting that killed Xiaopeng Yuan, 23, a Syracuse University student.

Isaac and Mitchell are each facing murder, robbery and weapons charges. They were taken into custody during police raids on their residences. Several vehicles were also confiscated, Conway said.

Conway said it was a drug robbery gone bad. The two suspects met Yuan for a drug buy -- but authorities have not yet said what drugs.

Conway would also not say who was selling to whom, but noted that drugs were found in Yuan's vehicle at the scene.

There is nothing to suggest Yuan imported any illegal drugs from China, the sheriff said.

Cameron Isaac and Ninimbe Mitchell

Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick said the murder weapon has not yet been found. He said whoever has the weapon has 48 hours to turn it in to police to avoid prosecution.

He also sought to reassure the SU community: this was not a random crime and there's no indication it will be repeated.



Check back to Syracuse.com for more information as it becomes available.