Mystery as international student, 21, is found shot to death in her Texas apartment

A 21-year-old international student was found shot to death in her home in Houston Monday.

A suspect has been pictured - in surveillance stills of him leaving the scene of the crime Saturday night.

The victim was identified as Muna Pandey, an only child from Nepal who had been studying nursing overseas in the Texas. She was taking classes at Houston Community College and worked at a local phone store.

This is the second college student to be found murdered in Houston this week. 

Andrea Rodriguez Avila, a junior at Rice University, was found dead inside her dorm room alongside her boyfriend barely an hour before. Cops said Avila was the victim of a murder-suicide. 

Cops released images of Pandey's suspected killer and asked the public to help identify him.

'Homicide detectives are searching for this male in the fatal shooting of a woman at 6363 West Airport Blvd. on Monday,' the Houston Police Department said in a statement Wednesday. 

'We demand justice for Muna Pandey, my dear friend and former roommate, who was tragically taken from us,' added Muna's former roommate Orusha Niraula, in a post to Facebook.   

'She was shot in her own home in Houston... the pain of losing her in such a violent way is unbearable.'

Cops said they arrived at the woman's rented apartment on West Airport Boulevard around 5:35pm, after receiving an anonymous tip reporting a body in the unit.

The caller was not identified.

Family sources, meanwhile, reportedly revealed Pandey was in a relationship with a white American man, and had expressed concerns about the relationship's stability.

She aired those concerns to her mother Anita, reported a nonprofit that covers stories on Nepalis based out of New York.

She also said Muna's mobile phone was unreachable for three days before she was found, with the surveillance still released by Houston PD taken at around 9:48pm Saturday.

'HPD patrol officers responded to a "person down" call and found the victim with multiple gunshot wounds inside an apartment,' cops added Wednesday in an accompanying press release.

'Paramedics pronounced her deceased at the scene. 

'The apartment complex staff told officers that prior to calling 911, they received an anonymous call about a body inside the apartment. At this time, there is no known motive.'

Her body, riddled with gunshot wounds, has been sent for autopsy, they added, as the person suspected to be responsible is now being sought.  

'We will not rest until those responsible for this senseless act are brought to justice,' said Niraula of the search on social media.  

'Muna deserves to be remembered for the incredible person she was, and we will continue to fight for the justice she deserves.'

She added that the nursing student had been 'like a sister to [her],' and was always 'full of life, kindness, and joy.

'Her bubbly personality and infectious laughter made every moment brighter,' she added.

'It's heartbreaking that someone so wonderful was taken from us so cruelly.'

Police said no weapon was found at the murder scene, and have yet to name a suspect.

The man in the footage, as of Wednesday evening, remained at-large and unidentified.

He is, however, being considered a suspect, as his name and whereabouts remain unknown.

At 4:30 pm Monday, Andrea Rodriguez Avila, a 21-year-old Junior at Rice University, was found shot to death inside her dorm room with a man believed to be her boyfriend.

He was found dead with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. A note was reportedly found.