Police said the shooting at a Residence Inn near NRG Stadium is being investigated as an apparent murder-suicide.
HOUSTON, Texas — A mother and her two young children were found dead Friday inside a southwest Houston hotel room after staff checked on the room and discovered the bodies, police said.
Houston police said the deaths are being investigated as an apparent murder-suicide. The woman was about 40 years old, and the children were identified only as a 9-year-old boy and a 6-year-old girl. Investigators said all three were found inside a room at the Residence Inn by Marriott near NRG Stadium.
Police were called just before noon Friday to the hotel on Kirby Drive, near Old Spanish Trail. Investigators said hotel staff had not heard from anyone in the room since the family checked in earlier in the week. Staff members went to check the room and found the door locked from the inside. When they entered, they found the mother and both children dead from gunshot wounds, according to police.
Houston Police Department Lt. Larry Crowson said preliminary evidence showed the mother shot the two children before turning the gun on herself. “Right now, preliminarily, we believe this to be a murder-suicide,” Crowson said during a police update. He said investigators were still working to confirm the timeline and determine what happened before the shooting.
The hotel is located in a busy area near NRG Stadium, the Texas Medical Center and several major roads. Police officers, homicide investigators and emergency crews remained at the scene Friday as guests and workers moved through the property. Authorities did not immediately release the names of the mother or children, pending family notification and further review by the medical examiner.
Investigators said the family had checked into the hotel Wednesday, but police had not publicly said when the shooting occurred. The room was locked from the inside when staff members went to investigate, police said. Officials did not immediately say whether a note was found, whether the gun was recovered at the scene or whether officers had responded to earlier calls involving the family.
The Harris County medical examiner is expected to confirm the causes and manners of death. Police said the homicide division is leading the investigation, even though early evidence points to a murder-suicide. Detectives were reviewing the room, hotel records and any available surveillance footage to build a clearer timeline of the family’s stay and the hours before the bodies were found.
The case adds to a grim stretch of family violence investigations in the Houston area. Police said the deaths of two children make the investigation especially difficult for first responders and hotel workers who found the scene. Officials did not identify a motive Friday and said the case remains open while detectives collect evidence and notify relatives.
The investigation remained active Friday night. Police said no other suspects were being sought, and the next formal update is expected after the medical examiner completes notifications and preliminary findings.
Author note: Last updated July 3, 2026.