After the children of a Houston restaurateur couple failed to show up for school, the entire family was found dead in what police have called a murder-suicide.
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The Houston Police Department said in a press release that on May 4 a 52-year-old man fatally shot his wife, 39, an 8-year-old girl and a 4-year-old boy before turning the gun on himself.
The suspect was identified as Matthew Mitchell, ABC 13 reported.
The victims were Mitchell’s wife, Thy Mai, and their two children, Maya and Max, according to Mai’s family, who identified them in social media posts.
Mai’s father, Thuy Mai, said on Facebook that the family was discovered dead after it was determined that the two children had not made it to school.
“The family can also confirm that the welfare check was initiated after the children’s babysitter went to the school to pick up Max and Maya and discovered the children had never arrived,” he wrote. “After repeated calls went unanswered, 911 was contacted to request a welfare check by Thy’s sister at the residence. No family member or individual entered the home prior to law enforcement responding.”
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Mitchell and Mai owned restaurants in Houston, including Traveler’s Table, which opened in 2019, and Traveler’s Cart, which they opened in 2024.
Thuy Mai said in his Facebook post that the two restaurants will remain open.
“My sister, Thy, was the most loving, devoted mother, and her children were truly the center of her world,” Mai’s sister Ly Mai said in a Facebook post. “Maya and Max were beautiful inside and out — kind, joyful, and adored by everyone who knew them.”
If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
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