Teen killed in double shooting at apartment complex

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Harris County Sheriff's deputies are investigating a double shooting at a northwest Harris County apartment complex that left a young woman dead.

"She's dead, she's dead" were the agonizing words that came from the mother of 18-year-old Cynthia Cruz. Cruz was shot to death inside her apartment and detectives still do not know why.

Sgt. Mark Reynolds with the Harris County Sheriff's Office Homicide Division said, "It doesn't appear to be a ransacking kind of situation."

Investigators spent all day trying to piece together a motive for the double shooting. In addition to Cruz, a friend named Archie Morning, who had been living with Cruz and her boyfriend, was critically injured.

"There was a door open on the apartment near where he was found," Sgt. Reynolds said. "Deputies went in there and found a deceased white female who had been shot to death inside the apartment."

Friends say there was no reason why anyone would want to hurt these two people.

"It's a total shock to me," said Kevin Pauley, a friend of the victims. "I really don't know what's going on. I know that they were two of my good friends."

Cruz worked at a nearby Jason's Deli. Her boyfriend was at work at a nearby auto parts store when the crime took place. Detectives interviewed him, and cleared him of the crime.

His uncle came to take two dogs from the apartment to care for them. Friends say the loss of his girlfriend has overwhelmed him, just as it has her family.

Pauley said, "Don't know how he's going to take this. They were really close."

Harris County Sheriff's deputies do not have a good description of the suspects seen leaving the apartment around the same time of the shooting.

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