A Texas man, who remains unnamed, is believed to have killed his wife and their seven-year-old son before turning the gun on himself in a tragic double murder-suicide. A family member told authorities that the man was depressed after being unemployed.
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According to Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez, the incident took place at a Park Row Drive residence in Katy, Texas. Deputies found, upon arrival, an adult female and a seven-year-old child deceased. Initially, the minor was reported to be a two-year-old, but the age was corrected in a subsequent update.
An adult man was airlifted to a local hospital, with him being pronounced dead shortly after arriving. Sheriff Gonzalez stated that, based on initial observations, the incident was a case of double murder-suicide. It is believed that the man killed his wife and son before taking his own life.
A second update made by Gonzalez revealed that the man, 42, shot his 43-year-old wife and seven-year-old son dead. He then turned the gun on himself, with the alleged weapon being recovered from the scene.
Mental Health Issues
While at the scene, Sheriff Gonzxalez revealed to media outlets, and reported by KHOU, that the unnamed man had been suffering from mental health issues. He specified that the man suffered from some form of depression, reportedly triggered by unemployment.
“Lately, the adult male had apparently been without a job and going through some other issues and had possibly sought some treatment recently,” Gonzalez said. “But today, we don’t know what transpired that led him to take this type of action.”
Fox 26 reports that two other people were present in the residence when the incident happened. The two, who are uninjured, were the couple’s 19-year-old daughter and her boyfriend.
Director of Hotline & Crisis Intervention Services at Houston Area Women’s Center, Celinda Guerra, talked about the tragic incident with KHOU.
“It’s so unfortunate that we’re here again, talking about yet another incident in which innocent lives were lost,” Guerra said. “For any survivors that are out there, we want them to know that they are not alone and that this is not their fault and that there are support services available.”
The incident remains under investigation.
If you are having suicidal thoughts or in the middle of a mental health crisis, contact the Crisis & Suicide Lifeline at 988. You can also access 988lifeline.org.