Pipo Nguyen-Duy was an internationally recognized artist and a beloved professor whose life journey was as rich and varied as his acclaimed photography. Born in Hue, Vietnam, in 1962, he grew up near the demilitarized zone and recalled hearing gunfire daily in his early life. In 1975, at age 13, he immigrated to the United States as a political refugee.
His path was anything but conventional; as a teenager, he was a national table tennis athlete in Vietnam, and in the mid-1980s, he spent time living as a Buddhist monk in Northern India. He earned an economics degree from Carleton College in 1983 before moving to New York City, where he managed a nightclub and immersed himself in the vibrant East Village art scene of the 1980s, meeting artists like Keith Haring. This experience ignited his passion for art, leading him to pursue a Master of Arts and a Master of Fine Arts in photography.
For 28 years, Pipo, a 64-year-old Asian man, was a professor of studio art and photography at Oberlin College in Ohio, joining the faculty in 1998. He was a cherished colleague and mentor, known for his passion and generosity with students. His artistic career was distinguished by numerous awards, including a prestigious Guggenheim Fellowship in 2011, grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, and three Individual Artist Fellowships from the Ohio Arts Council. His work was exhibited across the United States, Europe, and Asia. He was married to Tran Thi Phong, 56. In a statement, Oberlin College President Carmen Twillie Ambar said, "Pipo was beloved. During his years at Oberlin, he touched all of us through his passion for photography."
The morning of Wednesday, October 28, 2026, shattered the peace of the Oberlin community. Around 8:57 a.m., police and fire crews responded to a smoldering vehicle in a parking lot on the Oberlin College campus. The car, a silver Toyota hatchback, had a boarded-up window and a makeshift chimney for a wood stove in the back seat. Inside, officers found personal items, loose ammunition, and packaging for a Glock magazine. The vehicle was registered to Pipo's 31-year-old child from a previous relationship, Daniel Jones, who had legally changed their name to Asia Nguyen-Duy in 2025.
Tracing the vehicle's owner, police located Asia Nguyen-Duy around 10:19 a.m. in the 200 block of Shipherd Circle after a resident reported a "wet disheveled man" at her door. The prosecutor later stated in court that Asia, who had scratches and blood on them, had asked the resident to record a video. In the video, they allegedly identified themselves as Asia Nguyen-Duy, claimed to be escaping a cult, and stated, "Everything I did was on my own accord, and I take full responsibility." When officers arrived, Asia allegedly told them he "killed his family" and provided his father's address on South Pleasant Street.
At approximately 10:27 a.m., Oberlin Police officers forced entry into the home at 33 South Pleasant Street for a welfare check. Inside, they discovered a horrific scene. Pipo Nguyen-Duy was found deceased on the first floor. His wife, Tran Thi Phong, was found on the second floor. Both had suffered multiple gunshot wounds. The discovery prompted a temporary shelter-in-place order for the college campus until police confirmed there was no ongoing threat to the community.
Asia Nguyen-Duy, of Ashland, Oregon, was taken into custody and booked into the Lorain County Jail. They were charged with six counts of murder, four counts of felonious assault, and one count of tampering with evidence. During an initial court appearance on October 29, Asia had to be carried into the courtroom by officers. They informed the judge they are gender-neutral and preferred to be called Asia Nguyen-Duy. A prosecutor mentioned that Asia's birth mother in Oregon had described them as "psychotic and in need of medication." The judge set bond at $3 million, and the case was bound over to the Lorain County Common Pleas Court for a grand jury to consider an indictment. The weapon used in the killings had not been recovered as of October 2026.
The deaths of Pipo Nguyen-Duy and Tran Thi Phong sent waves of shock and grief through the Oberlin community. The college canceled studio art classes and made extensive emotional support resources available to students and staff. "Our community will be hurting for a very long time," President Ambar said in her message to the campus. An Oberlin resident, Desmond Bowen, told a reporter, "A lot of people are going to be hurt. I mean, we all hurt. You know, when you’re in a community like this for this long, you do kind of look at people like family." The college announced that opportunities would be provided for the community to gather and remember the beloved professor.
