HARRIS COUNTY, Texas - One adult and two children are dead after a shooting at a home in northeast Harris County Thursday afternoon.
Preliminary reports indicate the man shot the boy and girl before turning the gun on himself, according to the Harris County Sheriff's Office.
The children appear to be between the ages of 8 and 12 and the man looks to be in his 30s, said Sheriff Ed Gonzalez during a press briefing.
They were later identified by authorities as 8-year-old Sarah Wolfe and 12-year-old Phillip Bernal.
Gonzalez said around 1:20 p.m. the children were reported missing by their grandmother. She told deputies she went to the store and when she returned, they were gone.
The man, identified by authorities Thursday night as 38-year-old Cimarron Yancey Wolfe, is believed to have abducted the children and brought them to another home in the 14000 block of Edgeboro Street.
Gonzalez said a different family member arrived at the home and saw the front door open. After checking inside, she looked outside and found the bodies of the man and children behind a shed in the backyard.
At this point, deputies are trying to figure out the relationships of the man to the children. Gonzalez said it appears Wolfe was the father of one of the children. He said both children share the same mother.
Investigators are also working to determine a motive in the shooting.
"This happens way too often and it's very sad and unfortunate that we still see situations like this occur. Our condolences go out to all of the families involved in this." said Gonzalez.