Louisiana Mother Killed Daughter, Then Called 911 Before Turning Gun on Herself

On Tuesday, Tara Book called the emergency line to report that she had killed her daughter, Brittany Buras. Then she killed herself, authorities say

A mother fatally shot her 23-year-old daughter, then killed herself near Mandeville, La., on Tuesday, authorities said.

According to a news release from the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office, the murder-suicide occurred Tuesday morning at a home in the 700 block of Lane Street.

At approximately 8:30 a.m., a woman called 911 and told a dispatcher that she had just shot her daughter and was going to shoot herself, the department said.

"The dispatcher then heard what appeared to be a gunshot," according to the news release.

Deputies dispatched to the residence found two deceased females, later identified by the St. Tammany Parish Coroner's Office as Tara Book, 43, and Brittany Buras, 23, according to NOLA.com.

Buras' manner of death was listed as a homicide, while Book died by suicide, the coroner said, according to New Orleans station WWL-TV.

The coroner's office did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.

St. Tammany Parish Coroner's Office Coroner Dr. Charles Preston told WWL-TV that the deaths raise continuing concerns about the suicide rate in the area.

"St. Tammany has always had a concerningly high suicide rate," he said. "When you look at the demographics of folks who generally commit suicide, they match up with the demographics in St. Tammany Parish."

Friend Ayla Duhon told NOLA.com that the mother and daughter were "extremely close."

Tara Book, 43, and her daughter, Brittany Buras, 23. Facebook (2)

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.

"Tara did not have a mental illness," Duhon said. "She didn't have a temper. She was a responsible person. All of us were so shocked. Out of our friend group, she would have been the last person you'd think would do this."

Buras, a graduate of Covington High School, studied at Louisiana Technical College at one point, per the outlet.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 or go to 988lifeline.org.