A school yearbook photo has emerged of a young girl who was allegedly murdered by her own mum as a shattered community prepares to hold a candlelight vigil in her memory.
Sophie Wang, 10, a Year 5 student at Emmanuel College, was unable to be revived after emergency services rushed to her home in Emerald Lakes, in Carrara, on the Gold Coast, just after 6pm on Tuesday.
Her father had found the 10-year-old with her throat allegedly slashed and phoned triple zero.
Sophie’s 46-year-old mother, Yingying Xu, was arrested in a nearby street just before 10.30pm and later charged with murder.
A class photo of Sophie smiling while sitting in the front row published in a school yearbook has emerged following her tragic death.
The heartbreaking reminder of the smart and happy girl comes as heartbroken locals prepare to honour Sophie.
A candlelight vigil will be held at Main Fountain at 3030 The Boulevard Emerald Lakes this Friday from 4pm.
Mourners are urged to bring any flowers or toys but candles will be provided.
A photo of Sophie Wang (pictured) smiling for a school yearbook photo has emerged following her death
The crime scene is still in place at the family home as grieving locals continue to come to terms with the horror incident.
The floral tributes for Sophie continue to grow outside the home.
Neighbour Beverly Hanly, who has lived next door to the family for years, said that she was shocked by Sophie’s death.
‘They were a beautiful, kind and wonderful neighbours,’ Ms Hanly told the Gold Coast Bulletin.
‘I spoke to them often and I knew them well.’
Ms Hanly, who became friends with the family, said she hadn’t seen them recently because she, like her neighbours had been busy.
‘I could never have imagined something like this would happen,’ she said.
The community, who have been left shattered following Sophie’s death, will hold a candlelight vigil on Friday afternoon in her honour (pictured Sophie Wang)
Another resident Kevin Cruikshank described the situation as very sad for those involved.
‘It’s very hard … the family are very much like ours,’ he told the ABC.
‘You can only imagine what everyone in that family is feeling like. It’s just one small token we can do to express our feeling.’
The fallout over Sophie’s death has been felt throughout the community, including the AFL club Gold Coast Suns- whose home ground is near Emerald Lakes.
‘We had an enormous tragedy in the Gold Coast community … so commiserations from our footy club to all involved,’ Suns coach Damien Hardwick said.
On Thursday, some items of little Sophie’s school uniform were seen drying on the line on the balcony at the back of the home.
The Carrara community and Emmanuel College which is 600m from the family home is grappling with shock and grief in the wake of the horrifying incident.
Several children accompanied by their parents came to lay flowers at the scene on their way to school on Thursday.
Emmanuel College staff were also seen placing tributes outside the home.
Police tape is still blocking the residential street and a large criminal forensic van sits outside the front door of the property, as a team of officers could be seen entering and leaving the suburban home on Thursday.
A mother whose daughter was in Sophie’s choir laid daffodils at the scene.
‘Everyone is just in shock, no one will ever really understand it. It’s so hard on the kids,’ the mother-of-two said.
She revealed that Sophie was in the Emmanuel College reading club, a star program for children who have read over a million words.
‘We’d often see her reading in the library in the mornings. She was a really good reader,’ the mother added.
Sophie Wang, a Year 5 student at Emmanuel College has been remembered by schoolmates as smart and kind
Sophie’s 46-year-old mother, Yingying Xu (pictured), was arrested in a nearby street just before 10.30pm and later charged with murder
In a heartbreaking reminder of the domestic tragedy, some items of Sophie’s school uniform could be seen drying on the line on the balcony at the back of the house (pictured)
Sophie’s classmate Oliver Hayes (pictured), 11, laid flowers outside her home on Wednesday afternoon with his mother and other school friends. ‘She was one of the smartest kids in our school,’ Oliver said
On Thursday morning, several children accompanied by their parents came to lay flowers at the scene on their way to school
Sophie’s classmate Oliver Hayes, 11, laid flowers outside her home a day earlier with his mother and other school friends.
‘She was one of the smartest kids in our school,’ Oliver said.
‘There’s so many words to describe her. She was very nice, she really cared about people a lot and she was very kind.’
A neighbour across the street from where the tragedy took place described Sophie as a ‘really friendly little girl’.
Amanda, 68, said she was in the same class as her grandson and used to see her walking to and from school.
‘I could always hear her playing music,’ Amanda told Daily Mail Australia.
‘She was always walking to school and back. She was really friendly and would say hi. A really friendly little girl.’
Amanda said her grandson was being given counselling by the school.
‘He always talked about Sophie. They got along very well,’ she added.
Police tape is still blocking the residential street and a large criminal forensic van sits outside the front door of the property, as a team of officers could be seen entering and leaving the suburban home on Thursday morning (pictured)
‘It’s just so awful. The school and the whole community is just in shock.’
On Wednesday, Daily Mail Australia revealed that detectives are investigating religious TikToks Sophie’s mother made on the same day she allegedly killed her.
A day earlier, Xu had posted three videos on TikTok in which she muttered to the camera about religion in Chinese.
In the clips, Xu talks about Christianity and how the ‘trinity’ is the ‘only true god’ and ‘Jesus is the incarnate son of man’.
The videos will form part of the investigation into the case, which seasoned detectives have describe as one of the ‘most confronting’ they have ever seen.
‘In my 15 years as a detective it is one of the most confronting scenes I have ever seen,’ Detective Acting Inspector Kent Ellis told reporters.
Associate Professor Yun Wang (pictured) arrived home to find his daughter allegedly murdered on Tuesday night. He donned a blue forensics suit and was helping police piece together what allegedly happened just hours after her tragic death
A staff member from Emanuel College pays her respects on Thursday after the little girl was allegedly killed by her mum
The tragedy has also rattled staff at Griffith University, where Prof Wang works in the chemistry and forensic science department, specialising in renewable energy.
Two male colleagues of Prof Wang’s turned up at the house on Wednesday afternoon with food but were turned away by an officer who told them the father was not there.
The university is offering support to Prof Wang and his close colleagues.
‘We are deeply saddened to hear about the tragic death of the daughter of a valued member of the Griffith community,’ the university said in a statement.
‘Our thoughts are with the family and friends at this incredibly difficult time.’
Xu was remanded in custody and will next appear in court on November 29.
