HOUSTON — Two people have died in an apparent murder-suicide at Rice University in Houston.
According to university police, a female student was found dead in her dormitory on Monday. A man, who was not a student, was also found dead with what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
University President Reginald DesRoches identified the student as Andrea Rodriguez Avila.
“This is a speech that no president ever wants to give,” DesRoches said. “As the president of Rice University, I am heartbroken to share the loss of one of our students, Andrea Rodriguez Avila. Rice University police responded to a welfare check this afternoon at approximately 4:30 p.m. and found Andrea dead in her room, along with an unidentified man with a self-inflicted gunshot wound who was not a member of the Rice community.”
Rice University Police Chief Clemente Rodriguez said a family member had not heard from Avila and asked police to check on her and make sure she was OK.
Rodriguez said officers checked to see if Avila had been in class and found she had not gone to class. It was around 4:30 p.m. when officers went to check her dorm room to see if she needed anything.
“We went into the room and that’s where we found her,” Rodriguez said.
Police said there were no signs of forced entry into the dormitory, and Rodriguez said the man found in Avila’s room was not a registered visitor.
Students and staff were locked in for about two hours before the lockdown was lifted around 7 p.m.
“As a parent of a former Rice student, I can only imagine how devastating this must be,” DesRoches said. “We are communicating with Andrea’s parents and will be flying them out early tomorrow morning. We ask the community to keep us in your prayers as we comfort each other tonight.”
Monday was the first day of classes. All other classes and activities were cancelled for that day.
Authorities have not yet identified the man.
