A family member’s growing concern prompted a welfare check that ended in a tragic discovery at a north Fort Worth, Texas, apartment on the evening of Wednesday, September 23, 2026. Inside the home, police found two related women deceased from gunshot wounds: Maria Rodriguez-Ramirez, a 76-year-old female, and 57-year-old Flor Maria Casiano-Rodriguez.
The day’s grim events began to unfold after a relative was unable to get in touch with one of the women.
The family member had last spoken to her by phone the previous night, on Tuesday. When subsequent calls and a visit to the apartment in the 2200 block of Whistler Creek Drive went unanswered, the relative contacted the Fort Worth Police Department for help. Officers were dispatched to the apartment community, located just west of Interstate 35W, arriving at approximately 8:52 p.m.
Upon arrival, an officer looked through a window of the residence and saw what appeared to be a deceased person inside. At that point, first responders made a forced entry into the apartment. Once inside, they found the bodies of both Maria Rodriguez-Ramirez and Flor Maria Casiano-Rodriguez. Both women were pronounced dead at the scene.
Detectives with the Fort Worth Police Department’s Homicide Unit were called to the scene to take over the investigation. Investigators discovered a handgun in the vicinity of the younger woman, Casiano-Rodriguez. Based on the initial evidence found at the apartment, authorities began investigating the case as a possible murder-suicide. Police officials stated that they believed it was an isolated incident and that there was no ongoing threat to the surrounding community.
The Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office later officially identified both women. Following autopsies, the medical examiner determined that one of the deaths was a homicide and the other was a suicide. However, official reports did not publicly specify which manner of death was assigned to each woman. The exact nature of their familial relationship was also not disclosed by authorities.
The neighborhood where the women were found is a residential area in the rapidly growing northern part of the city. Fort Worth, a major hub in North Texas, has experienced significant population growth, and with it, the challenges of urban crime. The city's police department handles numerous complex cases each year, with its Homicide Unit tasked with piecing together the final moments of victims' lives to bring resolution to their families.
As of late September 2026, the investigation by the Fort Worth Police Department remained ongoing. Authorities had not released any further information regarding the specific circumstances or motive that may have led to the fatal gun violence inside the Whistler Creek Drive apartment. No public statements from family or friends have been made, and details about the lives of Maria Rodriguez-Ramirez and Flor Maria Casiano-Rodriguez, including their occupations or personal interests, have not been shared. No memorial or funeral service information has been made publicly available.
