2 People Killed in 'Execution Style' Philadelphia Shooting: 'Nobody Should Have to Die Like That'

Authorities found Thurston Cooper, 49, and Krystina Chambers, 38, "lying next to each other" after the Feb. 29 shooting

Two people were killed in an “execution style” shooting at a Philadelphia park on Thursday night, authorities said.

The victims have been identified as Philadelphia residents Thurston Cooper, 49, and Krystina Chambers, 38, a spokesperson for the Philadelphia Police Department tells PEOPLE.

Officers were notified of the shooting just before 11 p.m. local time on Thursday. After arriving at the park, they found medics attending to Cooper and Chambers, both of whom had suffered fatal gunshot wounds.

Cooper was shot in the head and Chambers was shot in both the head and chest, police told WPVI-TV and NBC10 Philadelphia.

About 15 minutes after police arrived on the scene, Philadelphia Fire Department medics pronounced the victims dead.

Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small said the victims were shot “execution style,” according to CBS News.

"At this point, it appears they were both shot and killed execution style," he said, adding that it is “not only because they were lying next to each other.”

Small also said that medics and police discovered Chambers’ body next to Cooper’s in a gully by the road, CBS News reported. Three spent shell casings were also found nearby.

“It appears the shooter or shooters were standing very, very close to these two victims when the shots were fired, since the ballistic evidence was right there, just a few feet away,” he said.

The chief inspector also said that there are security cameras at a nearby historic property, Mount Pleasant Mansion, and investigators hope their surveillance footage will reveal more information about the shooting, per CBS News.

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.

According to WPVI-TV, Chambers was a dental assistant and mother to four children ages 12, 13, 14 and 17.

Taye Evans, one of Chambers' children, told the outlet that his mom "cared about us a lot and she tried to do everything for us, and tried to make a way for us to have a good life."

Evans also said he spoke with his mom hours before she was killed. "I said, 'Hi and I love you.' And she said, 'I love you' back and that was the last time I heard from her," he recalled to WPVI-TV.

Chambers' mother, Terri Chambers, also spoke with the Philadelphia outlet after her daughter's death.

"My heart, it's broken, and it probably will be broken forever," she told WPVI-TV. "She was a beautiful person. She was very good. She loved people."

Reacting to the way her daughter was killed, she added, "It's awful. How could you do that to somebody? It's just out of control. Nobody should have to die like that."

As of Saturday afternoon, the shooter or shooters’ motive remains unknown, according to the Philadelphia Police Department, whose homicide unit is currently investigating the incident.

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.