SWAT entry in north Houston ends standoff; woman found dead, man hospitalized with head gunshot wound

What investigators say happened

A woman was found dead and a man was hospitalized early Tuesday after deputies responded to what authorities described as a possible attempted murder-suicide at a home in north Harris County near Houston.

Deputies were called to a residence on Cicada Lane near John F. Kennedy Boulevard shortly before midnight Monday for a welfare check and disturbance report. Investigators said family members were inside the home when deputies arrived and allowed them to enter.

Standoff inside a locked bedroom

Authorities said deputies learned that a man had barricaded himself inside a bedroom with a woman believed to be his girlfriend. Deputies removed other occupants from the house, including children, and attempted to communicate with the people inside the bedroom. Investigators said they heard noises but received no response.

With the bedroom door locked and the occupants unresponsive, a SWAT team was called to the scene. Investigators said SWAT arrived shortly after 1 a.m. and later forced entry into the bedroom a little after 2 a.m.

Victim found dead; man expected to survive

Inside the bedroom, investigators said they found the woman deceased from an apparent gunshot wound. The man was found with a gunshot wound to the head that investigators described as appearing self-inflicted. He was transported to a hospital and was expected to survive as of Tuesday.

Officials said the man was armed when he was found. Investigators also said it was possible the weapon had been fired before law enforcement arrived, though the precise timing and sequence of events remained under investigation.

Relationship and family circumstances

Authorities said the two were in a dating relationship and shared a child. The identities of the woman and the man were not publicly released Tuesday as investigators continued their work at the scene.

Ongoing investigation and what remains unknown

Homicide investigators and crime-scene personnel were assigned to the case. Officials characterized the incident as a possible attempted murder-suicide, indicating that investigators were still working to determine the exact circumstances leading up to the shooting.

• The firearm has not been publicly described, and investigators have not announced whether additional weapons were recovered.
• No formal determination has been released on the manner of death beyond investigators’ preliminary characterization.
• Authorities have not released details about what prompted the initial welfare check call.

If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 in the U.S. for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. In an emergency, call 911.