Rice University student apparently killed in murder-suicide in dorm

A Rice University student was found shot to death in her dorm room on Monday in an apparent murder-suicide that prompted the Houston campus to be placed on lockdown on the first day of classes, officials said.

The body of Andrea Rodriguez Avila, a third-year student from Maryland, was found by university police after a concerned family member requested a wellness check and school authorities discovered she had been absent from class, Rice University Police Chief Clemente Rodriguez said, according to KTRK.

Avila and the man, who was not a student, were found in their dorm room at Jones College around 4:30 p.m.

The male suspect, whose identity was not disclosed, sustained a gunshot wound and both were pronounced dead at the scene.

A note found at the crime scene, presumably written by the shooter, suggests that the two had a romantic relationship.

“In general, a lot of it was about their relationship and the fact that they were obviously having problems at the time,” Rodriguez said.

The shocking discovery triggered a curfew and prompted the university to cancel classes until Tuesday.

“This is a speech no president wants to give,” Reginald DesRoches, president of Rice University, told reporters when he announced Avila's death.

“I want all of our students, our parents and the entire Rice community to know that the Rice campus is safe. There is no immediate threat, and tonight we will embrace our students. As a parent of a former Rice student, I can only imagine how devastating this must be,” DesRoches said, according to the university's student newspaper, The Rice Thresher.

Avila's parents were scheduled to fly to Houston on Tuesday, DesRoches added.

Police believe the shooter entered the dorm as Avila's guest, as there were no signs of forced entry into her room.

Campus police said they had not received any previous calls regarding the couple.

Counseling services are available to all students and staff if needed, school officials said.