Husband and Wife Found Dead in Christmas Day Murder-Suicide: Police

A husband and wife were found dead in an apparent murder-suicide on Christmas Day, while their three children remained in their Texas home unharmed.

Officers with the Houston Police Department responded to the home on Grasila Drive at around 10 p.m. on Monday, according to local news station KTRK.

Police said that when officers arrived at the scene, one of the children met them outside the house and told them what had happened.

Officers went inside the residence and found both of the parents dead, police said. The three sisters, aged 6, 9 and 14, were not physically harmed, according to police.

Investigators said they have recovered what they believe is the murder weapon, and police said they do not believe that there is any threat to the public.

Lt. J.P. Horelica told KTRK that authorities are working to determine the best thing for the children.

"We do have family members on scene, who they'll probably be released to for the evening until something more permanent is available," Horelica said.

Newsweek has contacted the Houston Police Department for comment via email.

Newsweek reported earlier this year that murder-suicides, driven by societal factors, such as COVID lockdowns, a rise in domestic violence, and the availability of firearms, are occurring more frequently in the U.S.

Some 1,200 Americans die in such incidents each year, according to research by the nonprofit Violence Policy Center.

And although there is no agency comprehensively tracking the toll of murder-suicides in the U.S., the data there is indicates that they are on the rise.

According to the nonprofit Gun Violence Archive, there have been 665 murder-suicide incidents using firearms in 2023 as of Tuesday—close to the total in 2022, which saw the highest number of murder-suicides using firearms on record. At least 670 occurred last year, up from 594 in 2021 and 570 the year before.

Just days into 2023, a Utah man fatally shot his five children, his wife and mother-in-law before turning the gun on himself. In February, a parish in Louisiana was rocked by two apparent murder-suicides over the course of less than 24 hours.

On Christmas Eve this year, a man shot and killed two women during a holiday gathering in Phoenix, Arizona, before taking his own life. According to Fox 10, officers had responded to reports of a shooting at a home just before 11:30 p.m. At the scene, they found three people with gunshot wounds. Details on what led up to the shooting are under investigation.