Police said hotel workers discovered the family after checking a room whose occupants had not been heard from for two days.
HOUSTON, TX — A 40-year-old woman and her two 4-year-old children were found shot to death July 3 inside a southwest Houston hotel room in what police are investigating as a murder-suicide.
Houston police said the woman apparently shot her daughter and son before dying by suicide. The three were discovered at the Residence Inn by Marriott on Kirby Drive near Old Spanish Trail, a short distance from NRG Stadium and the Texas Medical Center.
Officers were called to the hotel shortly before noon after employees entered the room to check on its occupants. Investigators said staff members became concerned because the family had been in the room since Wednesday, July 1, and had not been heard from.
Police found the woman with what authorities described as a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The girl and boy also had fatal gunshot wounds. All three were pronounced dead at the hotel.
Lt. Larry Crowson of the Houston Police Department said investigators preliminarily believed the deaths were a murder-suicide. Police had not determined exactly when the shootings occurred but said evidence indicated they happened before Friday.
Authorities initially reported that the children were ages 6 and 9. The Police Department later corrected that information and said both children were 4 years old. Their names and the name of their mother had not been released as of Friday.
Crowson said the case appeared to involve mental health concerns, but police have not released evidence establishing a motive or further details about the family’s circumstances. No information was immediately available about how long the family planned to stay at the hotel or why they were there.
The Houston Police Department’s homicide division continued to investigate the deaths. Authorities had not announced additional findings or released the results of any medical examinations.
Author note: Last updated July 10, 2026.