HOUSTON — A mother and her adult daughter were shot multiple times in an attempted murder-suicide at a west Houston home Friday morning, according to the Houston Police Department.
A 13-year-old girl managed to escape from the home and she's the one who called 911 and said her dad just shot her mom and sister.
When officers went inside the home on Preston Cliff Court near Eldridge Parkway around 5:30 a.m. they saw a hand come from underneath a door and signal where they should go. Then they heard a single gunshot.
Police opened the door and found the two injured women and a man dead on the floor. HPD Assist. Chief Megan Howard said the man died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The officers turned their attention to the mother and daughter.
“Officers rendered aid and they applied a tourniquet. They applied pressure to the head wound,” Howard said. “And so then they followed their training, got them (victims) out of there for medical treatment.”
The mother appeared to have been shot in the head and neck but is expected to survive, Howard said. The daughter, who is in her late-20s, was shot in the upper arm. Both women were taken to a hospital to be treated.
“Family violence is something that impacts all communities regardless of income or status,” Howard said. “They called for help, went through a harrowing situation, and they're going to have a long road to recovery. This event will stay with them the rest of their lives.”
Howard also praised the response from the officers on the scene who went inside the home.
“I would also like to acknowledge the incredible work of the officers who arrived on the scene,” Howard said. “They only had three minutes from the time that they arrived, gathering information about a rapidly unfolding incident. They had care and concern for the survivors who were still inside, and there was a lot of unknown information.”
It is still not clear what led up to the shooting.
“Not sure why this event unfolded, what triggered the suspect, which could have been nothing. And that's the truth about family violence cases” Howard said. “The suspects often make excuses for why they behave, and they place blame on others. But there's no one to blame other than the suspect in this case.”
Homicide detectives will be investigating even though the gunshot appears to be self-inflicted, Howard said.
Neighbors told KHOU 11 the family may have been renting the home and had been there for about a year.
Watch HPD's full press conference on the shooting:
Resources for victims of domestic or family violence
Domestic and family violence cases in the Houston area have increased at an alarming rate. Victims often suffer in silence because they feel scared, helpless or ashamed.
If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, here are some discreet ways to reach out for help.
The Houston Area Women’s Center has a 24-hour hotline for victims of domestic violence at 713-528-2121 or 1-800-256-0551.
The Family Time Crisis Center can also be reached 24 hours a day at 281-446-2615.
The National Domestic Violence Hotline is 1-800-799-SAFE (7233).
Crisis Text Line: Text START to 88788.