Rice University student killed in housing unit murder-suicide identified

HOUSTON — A homicide is under investigation at Rice University Monday night after a student and a man were found dead, according to Rice University police.

The student is Andrea Rodriguez Avila, who, according to university officials, was in her third year at Rice University in Maryland.

Police said the discovery was made around 4:30 p.m. during a welfare check at Jones College, a residential building on campus. Avila's family called campus police after not hearing from her, RUPD Chief Clemente Rodriguez said.

Police confirmed that Avila missed a class on Monday, the first day of the fall semester at Rice University.

When investigators checked her dorm room, Avila was found dead from a gunshot wound. A man who was not a student was also found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

According to police, the man left a note detailing relationship problems, leading him to conclude that it was a murder-suicide.

Investigators believe the shooter is from Florida and was able to get into Avila's dorm room because she let him in as a visitor, which is allowed for students. His identity has not been released.

“I want all of our students, our parents and the entire Rice community to know that the Rice campus is safe and 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. We are in contact with Andrea's parents and will fly her out tomorrow morning. We ask the community to keep us in your prayers as we comfort one another tonight,” said university President Reginald DesRoches during a press conference on campus.

It is not clear how long the two were dead in the building, but Chief Rodriguez said they believe it happened early Monday.

Following the discovery at Jones College, all classes and activities were canceled on Monday, and university officials announced that classes would be canceled on Tuesday.

Rice asked students and teachers to stay home for about an hour and 20 minutes Monday evening during the investigation, which also involved Houston police.

The university has also set up a call center for those who need support.

Rice University sent the following statement to the campus community:

“It is with great sadness that we inform you that Andrea Rodriguez Avila, a student at Jones College, was found deceased in her room on campus today during a wellness check by RUPD.

According to investigators on the scene, Andrea is believed to be the victim of a murder. A second person, who was not a member of the Rice congregation, was also found dead in the room. Investigators believe the second person died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound and may have known Andrea.

There were no signs of forced entry into her room. Rest assured that RUPD is working with the Houston Police Department and that our campus is safe. As you come together to support one another, please respect the Jones community by allowing them the space to grieve. We expect more memorial information and resources to be released in the coming days.

We mourn the loss of a wonderful person who was taken from us far too soon. If you need someone to talk to, please reach out to your college MAs, RAs, coordinators, or any of our staff at the Rice Counseling Center and Wellbeing Office who are here to support you during this terrible time. Students who need support should contact Wellbeing at 713-348-3311 – this number is available 24/7. Faculty and staff who need support should use the 24/7 Employee Assistance Program at 888-881-5462.”

To help the victims, KPRC 2 News has created a series: “Break out”, which covers domestic violence and its horrific consequences. The series presented various stories of survival, heartbreak, and some even ending in death, but each included a list of free resources on domestic violence explaining how to get help.

Know someone who needs help? KPRC 2 has published the following features in Breaking Free.

If you need immediate help, you can also call the following numbers:

• If you are in immediate danger, call 911.