FORT BEND COUNTY, Texas – Two elementary school teachers who worked in the Lamar Consolidated Independent School District outside Houston died in a murder-suicide, according to the Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office.
The husband shot his wife and then himself.
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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. The district is currently on Spring Break.
The couple’s bodies were found Monday inside their home on Darst Field Trail in Richmond, Texas, about 35 miles southwest of downtown Houston.
Neighbors say the couple’s family had gone to the home because they hadn’t heard from them since Friday.
Garcia’s father went around the back, looked through a window and was alarmed because it looked like there’d been an altercation. He called police. When officers arrived, they went inside the home and found the couple and the gun.
“They were perfect neighbors. The yard was nice. They came and went. They didn’t bother anyone,” neighbor Carolyn Meks told NBC affiliate KPRC 2.
In an email to families, the school district superintendent wrote, “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.”
Alba Garcia was just honored as 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.
Lamar CISD plans to provide counseling once classes resume on Monday. The district also has a dedicated hotline that provides emotional support 24/7 for its students and parents. That number is 832-223-HOPE (4673).
“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.