FORT BEND COUNTY, Texas – Two Lamar CISD elementary school teachers died in a murder-suicide during Spring Break, the Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office said on Tuesday.
The husband shot his wife and then himself, detectives said.
Alba Marina Garcia taught fourth-grade at Jane Long Elementary School, and Gene Mark Hudson Sjogreen, was a third-grade teacher at Taylor Ray Elementary.
Their bodies were found Monday inside their home on Darst Field Trail in Richmond, Texas.
Neighbors say the couple’s family showed up to the home Monday because they hadn’t heard from them since Friday.
Garcia’s dad went around the back, looked through a window and was alarmed because it looked like there’d been an altercation. He called police. They went inside the home, found the couple and the gun.
“They were perfect neighbors. The yard was nice. They came and went. They didn’t bother anyone,” Carolyn Meks, a neighbor, told KPRC 2′s Corley Peel.
“We mourn the loss of not just colleagues but friends and educators who have touched the lives of many within our district. During this time of grief, our prayers and deepest sympathies are with their families, friends, students, and all who knew them. We are reminded of the fragility of life and the importance of coming together as a community to support one another in times of grief,” Lamar CISD said.
Garcia was also Staff Member of the Month in January at Jane Long Elementary.
“I attended the University of Houston-main campus and I have been teaching for five years. Some of my favorites are spending time with my family, my two dogs, scrapbooking, and home decorating. I look forward to being part of the Jane Long Family,” Garcia wrote on social media in 2019.
If any students and staff need support following this incident, they can call 832-223-HOPE (4673). Staff members are encouraged to contact EAP at 1-800-475-3327. There will also be staff at both elementary schools providing counseling once classes resume on Monday.
“It is always difficult to share such devastating news, and the impact of this loss on our community is profound. We are a community bonded by our shared commitment to supporting and speaking life into our students and each other. During this time, I pray that we remember the strength we draw from our unity,” the school district said.