Galena Park, Texas – Three teenage girls and one man were shot and killed in an apparent murder-suicide at a home in Galena Park, according to Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez.
It happened around 10:30 p.m. in the 2000 block of 2nd Street in Galena Park, near Houston.
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Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said deputies responded to the scene after receiving a call from a 12-year-old girl who said she escaped with her 1-year-old niece to a neighbor’s home.
The girl told officials that a man sexually assaulted her and that he shot other people inside the home.
Upon arrival, officials found three teenage girls, 13, 14, and 19, dead.
A 38-year-old man, believed to be the boyfriend of two of the teen’s mother, was also found dead in the master bedroom with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, said HCSO.
One of the teenage girls, 19, was believed to be pregnant, according to KSAT’s sister station KPRC.
Sheriff Gonzalez told KPRC that the man had gotten into an argument with the teens moments before fatally shooting them.
Gonzalez also said after killing the girls, he sexually assaulted the 12-year-old girl inside the home before allowing her to run away without any clothes, reported ABC 13.
The 12-year-old girl was treated at a hospital and is expected to be okay.
Investigators believe the man was possibly jealous after someone reportedly said “hello” to his girlfriend, reported KPRC. She was not home at the time of the shootings.
Sheriff Gonzalez issued a statement to ABC 13 on the tragic incident.
“It’s just a tragic situation. It makes no sense, it’s all senseless, and it’s very tragic,” Gonzalez said. “But our investigators will try to put all the pieces together, and our condolences go out to the victim’s families and everyone impacted by this and the entire city as well.”
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, there is help.
Contact Family Violence Prevention Services at (210) 733-8810, or visit their website.
You can also call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233 or chat with a counselor on their website.
There is also a list of resources on KSAT’s Domestic Violence page.