A woman has been accused of shooting her two-year-old daughter dead then taking her own life near a church in Atlanta, Georgia.

Cobb County officers are investigating the circumstances surrounding the unidentified woman's death in a car near Milford Baptist Church on Milford Church Road.

Police were called to the church at 10.45am on Sunday before church services were set to begin.

They said that when they arrived they found the mother and daughter's bodies 'beyond life-saving measures,' according to CBS NEWS.

Cobb County officers have not yet released further details on the incident. The investigation is ongoing.

Clarence Howard, the pastor at Milford Baptist Church, told WSB-TV: 'A heartbreaking tragedy occurred involving a lady we have been assisting and her child.'

 'This is a reminder of how complicated life can become when people are faced with overwhelming situations.

'Please pray for everyone affected by this tragedy, including family members, Cobb County Police and Fire, and those in our church family who may be struggling with what happened.'

Jessica Veasley, a long-time churchgoer and colleague of the mother, said the woman's health had been declining for some time. 

'I could just tell that she was giving up, but I was trying to motivate her to keep going,' Veasley told WSB-TV reporters.

Veasley said she met the mother through a program the church ran for single mothers in need of help.

'She was innocent. She was an innocent kid. I just don't understand,' Veasley said as she wept.

'It was so hurtful. It's hurtful, and it's sad,' Veasley said. 'The child was... she was so amazing.'

The Daily Mail has reached out to Cobb County police officers for comment.