Rao was found lying outside and suffering from gunshot wounds to his head and leg at about 2:40 a.m. on April 19, according to the university. He was pronounced dead at the scene along the 100 block of Allston Street in a residential area about one mile from BU campus.
An autopsy has ruled Rao’s death a homicide, Boston Police spokeswoman Elaine Driscoll said.
No arrests have been made and police have declined to say more about the incident, including a possible motive for the attack.
“All information is investigatory in nature at this point and to protect the integrity of the investigation we are not permitted to elaborate,” Driscoll said in an e-mail, declining to answer several rounds of questions. “We will announce any developments that become available to the public.”
Raos roommates have declined to comment. The owner of the building Rao lived in has said the roommates told her that Rao left the apartment at about 2 a.m. Thursday, though it was unclear why.
He was called “Sesh” by many and grew up in Jeypore, a village in the state of Orissa, India.
He moved to Boston last fall to enroll in a selective, 17-month master’s program in mathematical finance in university’s management school. More than 1,000 people from all over the world apply for the program, less than 5 percent enroll, university officials have said.
BU faculty and administrators have described Rao as an intelligent, hard-working student and a kind-mannered, enthusiastic young man who quickly made friends.
Rao’s body arrived earlier this week in India, where all of Rao’s immediate family lives and planned to hold last rites services, according to Nanda, who said he has spoken to the family.
“They were very heartbroken,” he said.
In an e-mail to the Globe on Sunday, the student’s father, Kanagala Sudhakar Rao, 56, said his son had not mentioned having problems with anyone before he was killed. The father said he had not been concerned about his son living in Boston.
He said his son was set to begin an internship at Fidelity in May as part of his master’s studies at BU and the student planned to return to India next year earning his degree.
Rao’s father wrote in an e-mail Sunday: “I am very shocked.”
E-mail Matt Rocheleau at mjrochele@gmail.com.
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