SPRINGVILLE — Authorities are sorting out what happened at a Pinedale residence Thursday morning where a man and woman were found dead.

“I am shocked that something like this could happen here,” neighbor Opal Moseley said.

Members of the Pinedale Volunteer Fire Department were fighting a house fire at 5175 Pinedale Road when they found a woman’s body inside. About 200 yards away, inside a barn, a man’s body was found with a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

St. Clair County Sheriff Terry Surles said the call came in at 7:33 a.m.

Surles said a witness saw the man get off an ATV, walk into the barn and moments later heard a gun shot.

St. Clair County Coroner Dennis Russell identified the man as 52-year-old Jesse McDannel, who was pronounced dead on the scene at 8:20 a.m. The cause of death was a gunshot wound. Russell said the weapon used was a .38 caliber handgun.

“This is just something you do not expect,” Surles said. “This is a nice place but you just don’t ever know what’s going on with people.”

Authorities have not positively identified the woman found inside the home.

“I knew it had to be more than just a house fire when I saw all the patrol cars,” said Moseley. “It is so quiet out here. I didn’t know them except them passing by and I was going to my mailbox”.

Russell said autopsies will be performed on McDannel and the woman Friday at the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences in Huntsville.

“The autopsy of the woman is to get a positive identification on her,” Russell said.

Surles said his department will continue to gather information surrounding the incident.

The state Fire Marshal’s Office was also called in to investigate.