Galveston murder suicide: Flor de Maria Pineda kills husband Mauricio Morales and then two boys
A Texas woman, Flor de Maria Pineda, fatally shot her husband and two kids before turning the gun on herself at an upscale beach hotel, the San Luis Resort in Galveston, Texas.
Mauricio Morales, 39, was identified by police as the father found dead the scene, along with one of the two boys. The boys were age ten and five.
Crime Scene Tape photo/edited pic from FBI.gov
Galveston Police Capt. Josh Schirard said that another guest reported hearing a popping sound from a nearby room on the 8th floor and called the police. Officers entered the locked room and found three bodies, plus the fourth person who was seriously wounded. That person was Pineda, 37, who died at University of Texas Medical Branch hospital.
Police said evidence indicated the woman may have shot her husband and their two kids before turning the gun on herself.
The police statement: “The motive is unknown at this time, but forensic data collected at the scene indicates that the female is believed to be the shooter at this time, and is believed to have killed her two children and her husband before apparently taking her own life with a 9mm handgun found adjacent to her body.”
H/T to Adam Bennett who broke the details via Twitter: “Police investigating apparent murder-suicide at San Luis Hotel also confirm woman’s name as Flor de Maria Pineda, ID her husband as Mauricio Morales. GPD says family is from Baytown, checked into hotel around 7 last night. @GCCISD confirms boys ages 10 & 5 were students. #khou11”
Goose Creek ISD confirmed the children attended classes at Victoria Walker Elementary School.
The school district released a statement following word of the boys’ deaths.
“The tragic circumstances surrounding these students’ deaths are almost too much to bear,” said Goose Creek ISD in a statement. “A student death can have a ripple effect on a school community and, because of this and out of concern for the students’ classmates and the campus faculty, we will have additional counseling services at the school. We are grieving for the loss of young life and its infinite possibilities and we pray for the family, friends and students most affected by this tragedy.”
Capt. Joshua Schirard, of the Galveston Police Department, said they are not looking for any suspects.
“Our thoughts are with the victims and their family members during this difficult time. We are still gathering information about this isolated incident, however it appears to have been a murder suicide amongst a family in their room,” said Paul Schultz, Vice President of Hospitality for Landry’s Inc. “We are fully cooperating with the police department during their investigation and will assist them in any way we can.”
photo Gerd Altmann via pixabay
