Police release name of Ben Taub General Hospital murder-suicide shooter

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- The outpatient pharmacy at Ben Taub General Hospital will remain closed until at least Monday, county officials say, after an employee shot and killed his co-worker and then turned the gun on himself Wednesday afternoon.

The medical examiner has identified the suspect as 58-year-old George Vallikappil. The victim's name has not been released. Police say she was a pharmacist and family friends tell Eyewitness News she is a mother.

Houston police say Vallikappil, a pharmacy technician, shot and killed the victim Wednesday afternoon as she was in her workstation behind the pharmacy counter. Authorities are still investigating the motive but say the suspect had recently expressed romantic interest in the victim.

At Vallikappil's Southwest Houston home, his son answered the door.

"We are 2 families suffering here. We're confused. We want answers. We don't have any answers," Tom Vallikappil said.

Ben Taub officials say they have no record of complaints against either the suspect or the victim. However they are conducting an internal review to see if there were any warnings.