HOUSTON – Students and faculty members were stunned to learn that an apparent murder-suicide occurred at Rice University in Houston on the first day of class for the fall semester on Monday, according to reports.
During a welfare check, university police discovered that a female student was dead in her dorm. Officers also found a man, who was not a student at the school, dead in the room with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
In a letter to the Rice community, the school’s Dean of Undergraduates Bridget Gorman identified the homicide victim as Andrea Rodriguez Avila. The young woman was a junior from Maryland, FOX 26 Houston reported.
“There was no sign of forced entry into her room,” Gorman wrote. “Please be assured that RUPD is working with Houston Police Department and that our campus is safe.”
Gorman said they are mourning “the loss of a wonderful person taken from us too soon.”
Avila and the unnamed shooting suspect were in “a dating relationship,” according to Rice University Police Chief Clemente Rodriguez.
Investigators located a note at the crime scene reportedly written by the boyfriend, Rodriguez confirmed. The deceased suspect said it was “a lot about their relationship” and indicated that “they were having a troubled relationship.”
“A family member had not heard from our student, Andrea, and wanted to check on her – make sure she was okay – so we proceeded to go do that,” Rodriguez said during a Monday night press conference, FOX 26 Houston reported.
A preliminary investigation revealed that Avila had not attended any of her classes, and police personnel responded to check her dorm room around 4 p.m. When officers entered Avila’s room, they made the heartbreaking discovery.
Rice University, a school with about 8,500 students and 11 separate residential colleges, was locked down for about 45 minutes following the discovery, Fox News reported.
University officials canceled all classes and activities for the remainder of the day.
