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Man arrested; accused of killing mother, son in Fort Mill, sheriff says

YORK COUNTY, S.C. — An arrest was made Thursday in a double homicide that happened on Sept. 27 in Fort Mill, the York County Sheriff’s Office stated in a news release.

Law enforcement was performing a welfare check at a home on Saddle Ridge Road near Interstate 77 when they found two people shot to death, according to the county coroner’s office.

Betty Reynolds, 71, and Barry Reynolds, 40, were identified as the victims and were mother and son, the sheriff said.

Paul Eugene Bumgardner, 45, of Gastonia, was arrested at a home just before 8 p.m. without incident.

Bumgarner was charged with two counts of murder, possession of a weapon during a violent crime and burglary in the first degree.

“The outstanding and diligent work by our team to develop this person as a suspect and get him into custody in nine days is admirable,” said Sheriff Kevin Tolson.

Bumgardner is being held at the Gastonia Police Department until he is extradited back to York County.

Neighbors here are hoping for an arrest that puts the gunman behind bars.

Flowers could be seen on the steps of the home after the double murder.

“She’d just spent a lot of money on her house, putting in a new driveway and clearing off the trees and repainting the house. It’s a shame she fixed up the house and never got to enjoy it,” a neighbor who asked not to be identified told Channel 9′s Terry in September.

The neighbor said the mother and son lived together. On Tuesday night, they were shot and killed.

Someone called 911 for a welfare check before midnight that night. York County Sheriff’s deputies responded and made

Neighbors also said they’re hoping surveillance video from doorbell cameras can help solve the crime.

“Hopefully they got some video they can use,” a man said.

Investigators said they do not believe this was a random act of violence.

Anyone with information on the case is asked to call the sheriff’s office.

(WATCH PREVIOUS BELOW: Mother, son killed in Fort Mill; no motive or suspect known, detectives say)