NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Police are investigating a shooting at an east Nashville home that resulted in the death of a Vanderbilt University professor.

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A person who lived in an upstairs apartment at the house on McFerrin Avenue called police at 9:20 p.m.

Once they arrived, police found the professor, Pierre Colas, 32, dead and his sister, Marie Colas, 27, was wounded from a shot to the head.

Police said Marie Colas was visiting from Switzerland and in critical condition at Vanderbilt Medical Center.

It was unclear if the people were shot by another person or if there was an argument and they shot each other. There were no signs of forced entry into the home, said police.

"We are profoundly shocked and saddened by the tragic loss of our colleague, Pierre," Provost Richard McCarty said in an e-mail message to the campus. "Pierre was a talented young scholar who joined the Vanderbilt faculty in 2006. In his relatively brief time at Vanderbilt, he earned the respect of his colleagues and students, and his absence will be profoundly felt. He was a kind and gentle person and a devoted colleague, mentor and friend."

Colas was a German citizen who earned his Ph.D. at the University of Bonn and the University of Cologne in Germany. He studied Classic Maya culture, co-authored three books and numerous articles on the subject and spoke six different languages, according to Vanderbilt University.