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A northwest Harris County school district said four of its students were among the five people found dead in a vacation home in Leon County on Thursday (June 2), authorities said, per Houston-based media outlets.
Tomball Independent School District (TISD) officials confirmed that the children were enrolled in their schools. The deceased were believed to have been killed by escaped Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) inmate Gonzalo Lopez during his three-week run from the law after he freed himself from a prison transport bus on May 12.
TISD made the announcement in a statement distributed to the media, per Houston NBC affiliate KPRC.
“There are no words,” Dr. Martha Salazar Zamora said in the statement, the station reported. “During this difficult time, the Tomball community is continuing to pull together following the tragic loss of four students.”
The district said students can speak to grief counselors upon request, per KPRC.
Houston CBS affiliate KHOU reported that the children were visiting their grandfather at his ranch at the time authorities discovered the bodies.
Leon County was purportedly where the 46-year-old Lopez broke free from the bus.
Authorities alleged the convict went to the house, killed the occupants and stole the family's pickup truck, which would eventually be spotted in San Antonio, per the station.
Lopez was tracked down to Atascosa County just outside of San Antonio where he led officers on a short chase before he was fatally shot.
TISD parents received a letter explaining the tragic news, KHOU reported.
“The loss of a student, for any reason, is heartbreaking, but to lose four in such a tragic way is excruciating, and our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of these beloved students and grandfather," the district said in the letter. "We ask that you extend your prayers and support to these families who need us the most at this time. We share a special bond in Tomball and understand this will personally affect many students and families in our small community.”