ORLANDO, Fla. -- Two people were found dead in an apartment near downtown Orlando early Wednesday morning and police are calling it a homicide investigation.

Orlando Police officers and firefighters responded to the West Jefferson Street apartment in the Parramore neighborhood just before 7 a.m., where they found the bodies of a man and a woman.

The investigation appeared to focus on a first-floor unit of one of the apartment buildings.

A man who lives at the complex said he heard a series of seven gunshots -- not rapid-fire, but a second or two elapsed between each shot. He said he then heard the sound of screeching tires.

Neighbors said the dead couple kept to themselves, but it would not be out of the ordinary for people to be seen coming and going from their apartment.

One neighbor, who did not want to be identified, said a noise Wednesday morning caught her attention.

“It sounded like a loud thump, a big commotion, like things rumbling down," she said.

Unsure of how her neighbors died, or why, the violence shatters her sense of security.

“I’m just scared. I want to know if there’s anything I have to be worried about," she said.

But the woman also added, “This area has a name to it, but it’s not what people think. It’s a loving place.”

Orlando Police investigators are asking anyone with information to call the department or Crimeline at 1-800-423-TIPS (8477). There is a $5,000 reward.