Rice University student killed in apparent murder-suicide, police say, prompting campus-wide lockdown on first day of class

A student at Rice University in Houston was found dead in her dorm room Monday in an apparent murder-suicide, sending the campus into a nearly two-hour lockdown as students concluded their first day of classes, according to police and university officials.

The body of the junior student, Andrea Rodriguez Avila, was discovered by university police after a concerned family member asked for a wellness check and officers saw she had missed class Monday, Rice University Police Chief Clemente Rodriguez said.

Avila’s suspected shooter, an unidentified male who doesn’t appear to be affiliated with the university, was also found dead in the room from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, police said.

Based on a note from the suspect found at the scene, investigators believe the man shot Avila before shooting himself, the police chief said. The note also indicated the pair had been in a troubled romantic relationship.

“This is a speech that no president ever wants to make,” Rice University President Reginald DesRoches said while announcing Avila’s death. “Tonight, 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 wrap our arms around our students,” he added.

The shooter likely accompanied Avila into her residential hall, Jones College, Rodriguez said. Earlier Monday, a university spokesperson said there were no signs of forced entry.

The discovery of the bodies triggered a campus-wide lockdown beginning around 5:40 p.m. CT, and the cancellation of all remaining classes and activities Monday, according to the university.

The university announced at 7:18 p.m. that the lockdown had been lifted.

The Rice University Police Department is leading the investigation with the assistance of the Houston Police Department, Houston police said.

Jones College, where Avila lived, is one of 11 residential colleges that house Rice’s undergraduate students. Each year, new students are randomly sorted into a residential college, where they will stay for the rest of their undergraduate career.

Avila’s parents are communicating with the university and will fly to Houston on Tuesday, DesRoches said.

This is a developing story and will be updated.