A teenage boy murdered his sister and her friend before turning the gun on himself in a tragic double murder-suicide in Crosby, Texas, according to authorities.
The Harris County Sheriff’s Office said that Haley Burns and Kadience Cadena, both 17, were shot and killed by Haley’s younger brother Hayden Burns, 15, inside a home along the 4500 block of Wolcek Road.
After killing the two girls, Hayden then turned the gun on himself, the sheriff’s office said.
The cause of death for Haley and Kadience was ruled as murder while Hayden’s cause of death was suicide.
No motive has yet been given for the attack.
Deputies were called to the home in the rural community northeast of Houston on Tuesday afternoon after a relative discovered the bodies of the three teenagers.
The family member lived next door and was looking for someone at the home when they came across the tragic scene.
Investigators said that Haley’s body had been found in the hallway while Kadience and Hayden were found in bedrooms.
Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said at a press conference on Tuesday that a preliminary investigation pointed to a murder-suicide.
He said that signs of trauma were found on the bodies and that a firearm believed to have been used in all three deaths was recovered from the scene.
“At this initial stage of the incident just based on the trauma, it appears that this may be a case of a possible double homicide and suicide. This is still going to be under investigation,” he said.
The homeowner was said to be out of town on a trip at the time, he added.
“We were told that the homeowner is possibly away on travel so we’re still trying to figure all that out,” he said.
The identities of the three teenagers and details on who investigators believed to have carried out the attack was not available at that time.
The sheriff’s office then released the identities of the young people on Thursday.
The killings have shocked the local community with school district Crosby ISD releasing a statement on Thursday.
“Our hearts continue to go out to the families impacted by the tragedy in the Crosby community this week,” the statement said.
“Although the teenagers were not current students, we are thinking of and praying for those who knew them in our community.
“District counselors have been made available at all campuses this week to speak with students and staff in need of extra support.”
Neighbours also revealed their shock at the news.
“It’s really surprising to see something like this happen out here to one of us. Out here it’s a close community for the most part. We all watch out for each other,” David Givans, a local who lives close by, told KHOU 11.
If you are experiencing feelings of distress and isolation, or are struggling to cope, The Samaritans offers support; you can speak to someone for free over the phone, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.
If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call National Suicide Prevention Helpline on 1-800-273-TALK (8255). The Helpline is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you.
