Police said evidence showed the adult male shot three relatives before killing himself.
HOUSTON — A Houston restaurant couple and their two young children were found dead Monday evening inside a River Oaks home after a welfare check led officers to the family, police and relatives said.
The deaths of Matthew Mitchell, 52, Thy Mitchell, 39, and their children, Maya, 8, and Max, 4, stunned Houston’s restaurant community and neighbors in one of the city’s most recognized residential areas. Police said evidence at the scene showed the adult male shot the woman and two children before shooting himself. Investigators had not released a motive by Wednesday.
Houston police said officers were sent about 5:26 p.m. Monday to a home in the 2100 block of Kingston Street after a babysitter became worried that she had not heard from the family. A relative also had raised concern after not hearing from them since the previous evening. Officers entered the home and found two adults and two children dead from gunshot wounds. “Evidence on scene indicated the incident was a murder-suicide in which the male shot the three victims and then shot himself,” police said in a statement released after the discovery.
Police initially released the ages of the people found inside the home but did not publicly name them. Relatives later identified the woman and children as Thy Mitchell, Maya and Max. The Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences confirmed the deaths of Matthew and Thy Mitchell, while relatives publicly identified the children. Officials said all four were members of the same family. Investigators have not said when the shooting happened, whether a note was found or whether any recent dispute had been reported to police. The Houston Police Department said its homicide division remained in charge of the case.
The Mitchells were known in Houston for Traveler’s Table and Traveler’s Cart, two Montrose restaurants built around global food and travel. They also were linked to a clothing line called Foreign Fare. Traveler’s Table opened in 2019 and became one of the city’s better-known dining rooms, with dishes influenced by markets, street food and restaurants around the world. Traveler’s Cart followed as a more casual concept. Their restaurants had drawn television attention, including Food Network appearances, and one Traveler’s Table chef had appeared on “Beat Bobby Flay.”
Thy Mitchell had become a visible figure in Houston hospitality. The Texas Restaurant Association said she served on the board of its Greater Houston chapter and was selected by her peers as Greater Houston Restaurateur of the Year for 2025. Friends and colleagues described her as energetic, generous and deeply tied to the city’s food scene. “We will remember Thy as a ray of light who inspired everyone around her,” Emily Williams Knight, president and CEO of the Texas Restaurant Association, said in a statement. The group said it stood with the Houston hospitality community as it processed the deaths.
Family members shared grief Tuesday as the names spread across local restaurants, schools and neighborhood circles. Thy Mitchell’s sister, Ly Mai, wrote that her sister and the children had died the night before and asked for privacy while funeral plans were arranged. She did not describe the circumstances of the deaths in that message. Houston school officials confirmed that Maya attended River Oaks Elementary School. Principal William J. Dedrick told parents in an email that the school community had suffered a loss, and the district made crisis response staff available to students, parents and employees.
Outside the family’s home, flowers and family photos were placed near the entry as police continued their review. The Kingston Street house sits near Westheimer Road in River Oaks, a quiet neighborhood known for large homes, tree-lined streets and close access to Houston’s inner-loop business and restaurant districts. The case stood out because of the location, the children’s ages and the couple’s public role in hospitality. Police records cited by local reports showed no calls for service at the family’s address in the previous six months.
The restaurant team also issued a public statement as the investigation continued. Traveler’s Table and Traveler’s Cart said both restaurants would remain open and thanked employees who continued working after the deaths. “We are asking for unity and respect for our privacy as we navigate this immense loss,” the statement said. The staff said the restaurants would keep serving the community in honor of the Traveler’s legacy. The statement did not discuss the investigation or the future ownership structure of the businesses.
Authorities have not announced charges because the suspected shooter is dead. The next formal steps rest with homicide investigators and the medical examiner’s office, which is expected to complete final findings on the cause and manner of each death. Police said the case remained under investigation, with detectives reviewing the welfare-check timeline, evidence inside the home and any information from relatives, neighbors and people who last had contact with the family.
As of Wednesday, the family had been identified, the restaurants remained open and no motive had been released. The next major update is expected to come from Houston homicide investigators or the Harris County medical examiner as the case review continues.
Author note: Last updated May 6, 2026.