A junior at Rice University in Houston was found dead next to a male visitor in her dorm room on Monday in an apparent murder-suicide, according to campus police and university officials.
Andrea Rodriguez Avila, of Maryland, was found fatally shot about 4:30 p.m. inside her room at Jones College by university police after a concerned family member said she missed class on Monday, University Police Chief Clemente Rodriguez said at a news conference.
Rodriguez said campus police checked her dorm room after the call from family and found her body along with the body of an unidentified man who appeared to have died of a self-inflected gunshot wound.
Police think the man shot her and then himself. They said they are still investigating the extent of the relationship between him and Avila, Rodriguez said. The police chief noted that there were no signs of forced entry, and the man appeared to have entered the dorm as Avila’s guest because he was not affiliated with the school.
Rodriguez said police found a note left by the man at the scene that suggested he and Avila were in a “troubled” dating relationship.
The university issued a shelter-in-place alert to students following the discovery of the bodies. The alert has since been lifted, but classes remained canceled as of Tuesday afternoon.
Raquel Natalicchio/Houston Chronicle via Associated Press
A spokesperson for the university told HuffPost in an email that Aliva’s family arrived in Houston on Tuesday morning and were receiving support from university officials.
Aliva transferred to Rice in spring from the Community College of Baltimore County, the spokesperson said. She was majoring in political science and pre-law.
Rice University President Reginald DesRoches said in a statement: “I want our students, parents and Rice community to know that the Rice campus is safe, there is no immediate threat, and tonight we will wrap our arms around our students.”
If you or someone you know needs help, call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org for mental health support. Additionally, you can find local mental health and crisis resources at dontcallthepolice.com. Outside of the U.S., please visit the International Association for Suicide Prevention.
