Rice University student found shot dead in dorm

BALTIMORE – A woman believed to be from Maryland and a third-year student at Rice University in Houston was found dead in her dorm room Monday, the university's president said in a letter to the campus community.

President Reginald DesRoches said Rice University police were called to a welfare check Monday afternoon and found Andrea Rodriguez Avila dead in her room with a man who was not a student. DesRoches said the man had a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Classes were canceled on Tuesday, but the campus remained open so students and teachers could “come together as a community” and “spend time together and grieve.”

“This is a heartbreaking, devastating incident, and it is important to recognize that this loss will impact our close-knit community in the days and weeks to come,” DesRoches wrote in the letter. “Tonight, I want our students, parents, and the Rice community to know that our campus is safe, that there is no further threat, and that we embrace you with care and compassion.”

According to a video recording from a local television station, Clemente Rodriguez, police chief at Rice University, said in a press conference that he believed the young woman was from Maryland. He did not know her exact age. Police and university spokespeople did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Tuesday.

Rodriguez said the relationship between the man and the student is still under investigation, but said they knew each other. Police believe she gave him access to her room. The police chief said police found a note from the suspects describing a “troubled relationship.”

Rice University urged students in need of support to call Wellbeing's 24/7 hotline at 713-348-3311.