Rice University student found shot dead in his dorm room on first day of college

HOUSTON – Two people were killed in a suspected murder-suicide at Rice University in Houston.

According to university police, a female student was found shot to death in her dorm room on Monday and a man who was not a student was also found dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

University President Reginald DesRoches identified the student as Andrea Rodriguez Avila.

“This is a speech no president ever wants to give,” DesRoches said. “As president of Rice University, I am heartbroken to witness the loss of one of our students, Andrea Rodriguez Avila. Rice University Police responded to a welfare check at approximately 4:30 p.m. this afternoon and found Andrea dead in her room with an unidentified male with a self-inflicted gunshot wound who was not a member of the Rice community.”

Clemente Rodriguez, the police chief at Rice University, said a family member had not heard from Avila and asked police to check on her and make sure she was OK.

Rodriguez said officers checked to see if Avila had been in class and found that she had not gone to class. It was about 4:30 p.m. when officers checked her dorm room to see if she needed anything.

“So we entered the room and discovered her there,” Rodriguez said.

Police said there were no signs of a forced entry into the dorm room, and Rodriguez said the man found in Avila’s room was not a registered visitor.

Students and staff were locked down for about two hours before the curfew was lifted around 7 p.m.

“As a parent of a former Rice student, I can only imagine how devastating this must be,” DesRoches said. “We are in contact with Andrea’s parents and will be flying them in tomorrow morning. We ask the community to keep us in their prayers as we comfort one another tonight.”

Monday was the first day of school. All other classes and activities were cancelled for that day.

Authorities have not identified the man.