A woman died by suicide after fatally shooting her two young children in a Houston hotel room, authorities said.
Police responded to the Marriott Residence Inn in southwest Houston on Friday after hotel staff reported no one in the room had been heard from since Wednesday. Upon arrival, officers discovered the bodies of the 40-year-old woman, her nine-year-old son, and her six-year-old daughter.
Authorities preliminarily believe the incident to be a murder-suicide, according to Lieutenant Larry Crowson. "Very tragic incident today - two children unfortunately killed at a very young age," Crowson stated. "Right now, preliminarily, we believe this to be a murder-suicide. This does appear to involve mental health issues."
The woman was found with a self-inflicted gunshot wound, authorities reported. The medical examiner's office will confirm the exact cause of death for all three individuals. The investigation into the deaths is ongoing.