Sharon Elizabeth Watson, 37, and her 7-year-old daughter, Emma Watson Nowling, who were shot outside the Taylor Sportsplex Dec. 3, 2015. Nowling died due to injuries sustained from the gunshots.

TAYLOR, MI -- Seven-year-old Emma Watson Nowling was shot and killed by a family friend Thursday night after soccer practice at the Taylor Sportsplex.

She died at Children's Hospital in Detroit due to injuries sustained to the head, Taylor Police said.

Her mother, Sharon Elizabeth Watson, 37, was also shot. She is in serious, but stable condition at an area hospital, according to Taylor Police Chief Mary Sclabassi.

The man who is believed to have shot the two, Timothy Nelson Obeshaw, 57, fired rounds into the victims' vehicle and then turned the handgun on himself.

A 9 mm pistol recovered from the scene was registered to Obeshaw. He registered the weapon in his own name in September 2015 in the city of Belleville, where he at one point lived with Watson, the 7-year-old deceased, and the girl's father.

"It was a legal weapon," Sclabassi said,

Police confirmed Obeshaw also had a valid concealed pistol license.

He recently moved to a home in Taylor where he lived with at least one other individual.

Upon talking to family and friends of Obeshaw, police were told the man "believed that someone was trying to control him through mind control," Sclabassi said.

"He though someone was out to get him," she said in a Friday press conference. "Unfortunately, it appears as a result of his (instability) we now have a little girl who simply just wanted to go yesterday to play soccer, and never went home."

The initial investigation by Taylor police indicates that Obeshaw was a family friend to Watson, her daughter and the girl's father. He had lived on their property in Belleville.

Obeshaw had "taken" to the little girl, Sclabassi said. At Nowling's 6:30 p.m. soccer practice, witnesses saw the man interact with the girl. He was happy to see her, and she was happy to see him.

It was a happy interaction, police said, and Obeshaw had been at the girl's practices and games before.

When Nowling and her mother were leaving practice at around 8 p.m.

Shots rang out when Obeshaw "confronted Watson and her daughter at their vehicle."

He had driven separately.

Witnesses saw Obeshaw fire gunshots into Watson's vehicle, striking 7-year-old Nowling first, and then her mother.

He then shot and killed himself.

Police do not have a motive for the shootings aside from reported paranoia. Police have not found any criminal history, nor are they aware if Obeshaw has a history of mental illness, any official diagnosis or treatment.

Police said they have no reason to believe there was any sort of romantic involvement between Watson and Obeshaw.

Sclabassi said Friday that Watson is still undergoing procedures. She has been informed that her daughter died from the gunshot wounds.

The chief also said the shooting adds to an ongoing debate.

"Obviously if the persons close to this individual (Obeshaw) had perhaps taken the steps to make sure that he got the help he needed, he may not have been in the position to obtain the firearms that he had yesterday," she said. "It is unfortunate."

Sclabassi applauded first responders and the police who responded to the shooting.

"They did really well last night," she said.

Police do not believe Obeshaw targeted the Taylor Sportsplex, and said they're working to tie up any loose ends.

The case is contained, Sclabassi said.

Arrangements are being made for donations for Nowling and Watson's family.

Ian Thibodeau is the business and development reporter for MLive Media Group in Detroit. He can be reached at ithibode@mlive.com, or follow him on Twitter.