BOSTON — Shock Is the accurate word to describe Boston residents’ reactions over an apparent murder-suicide that occurred here in the wee hours of Friday morning.

“It’s terrible, horrible,” said Conrad Engel, owner of Boston Hardware Company, of the death of nine-year-old Madeline Armstrong and her mother Wendy Armstrong, 36. “This is not supposed to happen in Boston.”

“After preliminary investigation, it appears to be a homicide-suicide,” Thomas County Sheriff’s Investigator Pascal Autrey said Friday.

“The mother may have shot the daughter then turned the gun on herself,” he said. “This case is still under investigation. There will be an autopsy.”

Tim Gay, owner of Turtles Pizza Parlor, was shocked to awaken to news of the incident.

“Things must have been pretty bad to drive a parent, especially a mother, to take a child’s life,” he said. “We’ll never know what she was thinking, but it must have been a pretty bad situation.”

Gay, also a parent, said he could not picture a parent taking any child’s life, especially that person’s own son or daughter.

The cause of death appears to one gunshot wound per individual, Autrey said.

The Armstrongs were not from Boston, but have relatives in Thomasville. They were believed to be visiting the area.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Thomas County Sheriff’s Department are now investigating the case.

A member of Boston’s volunteer fire department, Gay received a beep around 3 a.m. and messaged the first-responder, saying to call Gay if he was needed.

“The volunteer fire department has seen a lot of things,” said Gay. “This is one call I’m fortunate that I missed.”

Boston Police Chief Chuck Weaver said the bodies were discovered in a van around 3 a.m. by one of his patrol officers in front of the Boston Police Department. The time of death is not known.

Jamie Murphy, owner of Murphys IGA, was also shocked to hear the news. “It’s just hard to believe,” he said. “I’m sad it happened.”

Some residents had just heard the news over lunch.

Main Street Caf/ owner Bill Carson said he was filled with shock and disbelief over the incident.

“You don’t think it would ever happen here,” he said. “I hope nothing like that happens again.”

Carson also expressed concern for the family of the victims and said his thoughts and prayers go out to them.

“That is really shocking,” said IGA employee Crystal Wright. “I didn’t know anything about it. I just can’t believe it; not your own flesh and blood.”