WILMINGTON -- An unborn child and two men were killed in a murder-suicide Friday afternoon in the parking lot of the Walmart shopping center in Monkey Junction.

"It was pop-pop then a hesitation and then another one so it was three quick shots and then one a couple seconds later," replayed Gregg Smith.

Smith was sitting in his mobile home near the gas station in the parking lot of the Walmart where the deadly shootings took place.

"I ran to the back of our motor home and looked out the window and there really wasn't any activity over there like a car speeding anyway or anything so I didn't think anything of it and then about six to eight minutes later all the squad cars come," said Smith.

In a picture distributed to the media during a press conference Saturday afternoon, 62-year-old Richard Nielsen can be seen holding a gun at 38-year-old Russell Mitchell at the attendant station. Authorities said Nielsen called out Mitchell's name and when he turned around he shot and killed him.

He then went to a car and shot 29-year-old Jessica Modolo twice at close range. He then shot and killed himself.

Modolo was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries but the sheriff said her unborn child did not make it.

They added this all unfolded before the eyes of several children including those of the victims.

"You're talking about an unborn child, you're talking about someone who was taken in front of their own family and children having to witness that. You're talking about a murder in a public place in broad daylight, so I know this shocks the community," said District Attorney Ben David.

But authorities continued to stress this was not a random act of violence.

Based on their investigation they believe this was the result of a property dispute between the three individuals.

"It was planned, it was pre-determined, pre-meditated murder-suicide," said New Hanover County Sheriff Ed McMahon.

Before all the details of the incident even emerged, Smith said the whole situation was disheartening.

"It's unusual, but in today's day-in-age, you just never know, you just never know when it's going to happen and who it's going to happen to, unfortunate that the world is the way it is."

Authorities said Modolo remains at the hospital in critical condition.

They also said Nielsen legally purchased the gun right before the incident.