East Pierce Fire and Rescue received a 911 call at 10:40 p.m. Friday, Feb. 27, reporting the deaths of a mother and daughter. Emergency medical personnel found a traumatic scene of a mother and her teenage daughter, both dead from gunshot wounds, at a residence south of Bonney Lake.

Pierce County Sheriff’s deputies investigated the scene as a murder-suicide. It is believed the 36-year-old mother shot and killed her 16-year-old daughter, then turned the weapon on herself.

The Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office released the cause of death Monday afternoon. According to the office, the daughter died from gunshot wounds to the head and chest and is listed as a homicide. The mother’s cause of death was a gunshot wound to the head and classified as a suicide.

According to initial reports, the mother’s boyfriend found the two and made the call to 911.

East Pierce responded to the scene and the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office is the investigating agency.

The Sumner School District is working with the staff and students at the school where the girl attended. The Bonney Lake police are assisting the district staff as needed.

(Editor’s note: Names of the mother and daughter are being withheld to give the family and school district an opportunity to work through the aftermath.)