Who was Andrea Rodriguez Avila, the Rice University student shot on the first day of school?

Content warning: This article mentions intimate partner violence and suicide. Please take care while reading.

Andrea Rodriguez Avila, a Rice University junior, and a male were found dead from gunshot wounds in Avila’s dorm room on Mon Aug. 24, 2024, the first day of the Fall term. Early on, the male was unidentified in the press but had no known connection to the university, authorities said. The shooter’s wounds appeared self-inflicted.

Rice University Police discovered Avila, 19, and the shooter’s bodies around 4:30 pm while performing a welfare check after Avila’s family in Maryland reported they were unable to get in touch with her. She had also missed her classes that same day. The deceased were in a romantic relationship, and it appeared that Avila allowed the shooter, 22, into the building, The New York Times reported. There were no signs of forced entry. Avila and the male were pronounced dead at the scene.

A note was discovered

Multiple outlets report a note from the male was discovered in Andrea Rodriguez Avila’s dorm room indicating they were a couple, and that the victims died in a murder-suicide. According to The Washington Post, the male, who was reportedly from Florida, wrote he shot and killed Avila, and went on to elaborate on their troubled relationship. At this writing, Avila’s major at the university has not been reported in the press. Rice University flew Avila’s parents from Maryland to Houston, where the school is located. It was widely reported her family could not be reached for comment.

Rice canceled classes for two days

Soon after the bodies were discovered, Rice issued a two-hour, campus-wide lockdown and canceled classes and campus activities for the remainder of August 26 as well as Aug. 27, according to CNN.

“This is a speech that no president ever wants to make,” Rice University President Reginald DesRoches said in a statement announcing the murder-suicide. “Tonight, I want all of our students, our parents and the entire Rice community to know that the Rice campus is safe and there is no immediate threat, and tonight we will wrap our arms around our students,” he added.

Avila’s murder highlights a disturbing statistic for young women, with nearly 30% of all female murder victims in the college-age range being killed by intimate partners. An additional one in five college students also say they’ve been a victim of intimate partner violence. Rice football coach Mike Bloomgren mentioned Avila’s murder at a press conference, and said there would be a moment of silence for Avila at the team’s upcoming game.

If you are experiencing domestic abuse, or if you believe someone you know is being abused, contact The National Domestic Violence Hotline. The hotline can be reached at 1-800-799-SAFE or spoken with online via the hotline’s website. Mobile phone owners can also text “START” to the number 88788.

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org. A list of international crisis resources can be found here.