Houston crime: Father shoots wife, daughter, himself on Preston Cliff Court, police say
HOUSTON - A man is believed to have shot his wife and daughter before turning the gun on himself at a home in west Houston, police say.
The man died at the scene, and the two women were taken to the hospital Friday morning.
The shooting was reported around 5:30 a.m. in the 13400 block of Preston Cliff Court.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX 26 NEWS APP
Officers arrived at the house and were met outside by a 13-year-old girl. Police say the girl reported that her father had shot her mother and her adult sister, and all three of them were in the house.
The Houston Police Department investigates a shooting on Preston Cliff Court.
Officers entered the home and began to search for the suspect and the victims.
Police say the officers came across a door and saw a hand signaling underneath.
"They established some kind of unspoken communication with that person while they continued to clear and make sure that there was not some other threat other than what was behind the door," HPD Asst. Chief Howard says.
Police say the officers determined that the suspect and both of the gunshot victims were still in that room.
According to police, the officers were just about to announce their presence when they heard a gunshot.
"Fearing the worst, they forced entry without regard for their own safety because they knew that they had two innocent victims who were inside. They found an adult male who had what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound," Asst. Chief Howard says.
SUGGESTED: Resources available for domestic violence victims
They also found two women with gunshot wounds. Police say the mother was shot in the head, but the injury is reportedly not life-threatening. The daughter, believed to be in her 20s, was shot in the upper arm. They were both taken to the hospital.
Police say the shooting will go through the normal investigative processes as a homicide scene, and they will make sure the evidence matches the events that were reported. The investigation is still in the early stages.
"Not sure exactly what kicked off the disturbance that started tonight. Not sure why this event unfolded, what triggered the suspect, which could have been nothing. And that's the truth about family violence cases. 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, and we just don't have the details at this point about what transpired prior to the officers' arrival," Asst. Chief Howard said.