River Oaks shooting: 4 dead, suicide possible
Houston police are investigating a murder-suicide in River Oaks. Officials said they found four people dead inside the home: a father, a pregnant mother and two children.
Fox – 26 Houston
Four relatives were found shot to death inside their southeast Texas home during a welfare check in an upscale Houston neighborhood on May 4, police said.
Houston police said in a May 5 news release that the deaths of a 4-year-old boy, an 8-year-old girl, a 52-year-old man, and a 39-year-old woman are being investigated as a murder-suicide.
“This certainly appears to be a family matter, but that doesn’t make it any better,” Detective L. Brooks told reporters at a news conference after the discovery. “It’s terrible…I’m definitely shocked.”
Authorities were dispatched to the family’s home in the city’s River Oaks neighborhood around 5:30 p.m. CT on May 4 after a babysitter reported the family had not heard from them for 24 hours.
Arriving officers entered the home and found all four people unresponsive, police said. The children were found dead in their beds.
Police are not releasing additional information about the incident, including where the adult was found inside the home, citing a public investigation.
The Houston Chronicle and KTRK-TV identified the adults as Matthew Mitchell and Ty Mitchell, who owned a restaurant called Traveler’s Table not far from their home.
USA TODAY has reached out to the restaurant.
Mitchell’s sister also confirmed the deaths of the woman and the couple’s child on Facebook.
“I am heartbroken to share that my sister Tee and her beloved children Maya and Max passed away last night,” Lai Mai wrote in a May 5 post. “Our family is deeply saddened and asks for privacy during this incredibly difficult time.”
The family’s wealthy neighborhood is about eight miles east of downtown Houston and is home to such famous residents as televangelist Joel Osteen, Sen. Ted Cruz and former professional boxer George Foreman.
Who was killed in River Oaks?
Authorities have not confirmed a motive for the incident.
“Evidence at the scene indicated this was a murder-suicide in which a man shot and killed three victims and then himself,” police said in a statement.
Officials said they would not confirm the victim’s identity pending verification by the Harris County Forensic Laboratory. USA TODAY has contacted the office.
An autopsy will determine the official cause and manner of death for each relative. Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact police at 713-308-3600.
Natalie Neisa Alland is a senior reporter at USA TODAY. Contact her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her at X @nataliealund.
