A man and woman are dead following an apparent murder suicide in a rural area between Bessemer City and Cherryville.

Emergency workers were called to the 400 block of Mountain Meadows Drive at 5:52 a.m. Saturday in regard to a shooting. When emergency workers arrived the found a man and a woman dead inside the home.

Police say Johnnie Andrew Walter Jr. shot Michelle Marcinkus Walter before killing himself. The couple was recently estranged, according to police. Detectives confirmed the decedents' identity by speaking with the victim's family.

The area where the incident took place is off the Dallas Cherryville Highway, north of Bessemer City.

Gaston County Police ask that anyone with information pertinent to the investigation contact Detective H. R. Lloyd 704-866-3320. Information can also be provided through Crime Stoppers at 704-861-8000.

Check back at GastonGazette.com for updates to this story.

This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: Gaston County Police investigate apparent murder suicide