Texas woman accused of shooting landlord dies in hospital

September 3, 2010

A woman died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound Wednesday, around 10:00 local time at East Texas Medical Center in Tyler, Texas.

The woman, Alice Alvarez Aguilar, 46, was found by police Tuesday morning on the floor of her apartment. The police were called to Ms. Alvarez's apartment around 12:30 pertaining to a report of gunshots. When they arrived, they found Ms. Alvarez's landlord, Socorro Nunez, 70, dead due to gunshot wounds in an adjacent apartment.

Witnesses say they heard Ms. Aguilar and Ms. Nunez arguing over a guest when the gunshots fired. Reports state that Ms. Nunez's two sisters arrived after police. Acquaintances of Ms. Aguilar reported she was experiencing financial troubles, which may have caused the incident.

Neighbors and friends expressed shock at the event. An acquaintance of Ms. Aguilar, requesting anonymity, said it was unbelievable. "I saw [Ms. Aguilar] almost every day... She was a nice lady, just a regular person."