Two college 'pals' found dead near campus in murder-suicide

Alleged shooter Matthew Pfluger, left, and victim Connor Shannon

SAN MARCOS, Texas (KXAN) -- San Marcos Police are investigating after two men described as close friends were found dead Sunday morning in an apparent murder-suicide.

They're identified as Matthew Bond Pfluger and Connor Patrick Shannon, who were both 24 years old and both currently enrolled at Texas State University. Both men also graduated from Lake Travis High School in 2013.

Officers with the San Marcos Police Department responded to the 1400 block of Highland Dr. around 9:30 a.m. to investigate a report of two people who were dead.

The men were roommates living at the home off-campus and according to family of Shannon, they had been renting it out together for nearly a year. Family also tells KXAN the two men were the only two people living there.

Victim Connor Shannon, far left, with family

A release from the police department said a friend of the men found them and called police. When officers arrived, they found one man with multiple gunshot wounds dead inside of the residence and a second man who was dead in the backyard.

The initial investigation shows that Pfluger shot Shannon multiple times in the residence before taking his own life. Police said both of them were residents of the home and were students at Texas State University.

We spoke with several of Shannon's friends Monday, but most feared they were too emotional to participate in an on-camera interview. They said Shannon was "one of a kind" and had "a beautiful soul."

Erica Gauthier told KXAN, "Connor was a friend who you can always count on to make you happy, smile, and laugh. He was the light in any room he entered. Just a genuine, sweet, caring soul that you would gravitate to. The saying that, 'Only the good die young' has never been more true. He will be missed so much."

Three photos from the Facebook account of Connor Shannon 

Other friends said Shannon never seemed like the type that would be confrontational, so for him to be attacked in such an extreme manner, friends said they were left with more questions about what prompted the violence at all.

Shannon was a junior at Texas State studying electrical engineering. During his time at LTHS in 2011, he was a defensive end on the football team that went on to win the state championship for the fifth consecutive year.

The criminal investigation into the murder-suicide is ongoing.

This is the fourth homicide of 2019 and the second murder-suicide incident that San Marcos Police has investigated. (Story via KXAN)

Three photos from the Facebook account of Matthew Bond Pfluger

The family of Connor Shannon sent us the following statement Monday:

"Connor Patrick Shannon will be remembered by those who knew and loved him as a guy with a big smile and a bigger heart. The perfect combination of kind, goofy, and intelligent, he was a joy to every person that had the opportunity to spend time with him. He was the life of the party, and every room was brighter when he walked in the door. In his free time, Connor enjoyed watching sports, hunting, fishing, and playing video games; however, he was happiest when he was spending time with his family and his dog, Champ. Connor never met a person that he didn’t welcome with open arms, and we know that those arms are now wrapped around Jesus."