Andrea Rodriguez Avila, Rice University student shot dead by boyfriend who then killed self in murder suicide at dorm on first day of new semester. Couple had been in troubled relationship.
A junior at Rice University, was shot and killed in her dorm room right before her first class of the semester by a man she was dating. The man then killed himself in a suspected murder-suicide.
Andrea Rodriguez Avila, was identified as the victim, with the Texas college officials stating the college student was gunned down by her boyfriend.
The two were reportedly in a troubled dating relationship.
Tainted love
The shooter, not a student, likely gained access to the dorm through Avila.
The macabre discovery led to Rice University being placed on lockdown for nearly two hours on the first day of classes. Classes were also canceled for Tuesday.
University officers discovered the deceased student, next to a deceased man in her dorm room around 4 p.m. during a welfare check, according to Rice University Police Chief Clemente Rodriguez.
A concerned family member had contacted university police, who responded after learning that Avila had not attended classes that day the Austin American Statesman reported.
Avila, a junior from Maryland, had reportedly been fatally shot, and the unidentified man nearby had a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Investigators believe the man shot Avila before turning the gun on himself, according to Rodriguez. The police said the man does not appear to have affiliation with the university.
Investigators also found a note indicating Avila and the man had been involved in a romantic relationship that had become troubled, CNN reported. Rodriguez says the suspected shooter appears to have entered the residence hall, Jones College, with Avila. University police found no signs of forced entry.
University and Houston police are working together to investigate the deaths.
