Twin Brothers, 19, Missed a Trip to Boston. Now Their Family Wants Answers After They Were Found Dead in Georgia Mountains

A family is looking for answers after two brothers were found dead at the top of a Georgia mountain.

The remains of Lawrenceville twins Qaadir Malik Lewis and Naazir Rahim Lewis, both 19, were discovered by hikers at the top of Bell Mountain in Hiawassee, Georgia, on March 8, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) announced in a news release.

Hikers made the discovery and got in contact with the Towns County 911 Center around 11:05 a.m. local time, with the Towns County Sheriff’s Office requesting involvement from the GBI.

According to a preliminary investigation, authorities believe the teens — who were found with gunshot wounds — died as a result of a “murder suicide,” with autopsies pending and an investigation ongoing, per the news release.

The twins’ family has been left shocked by the discovery, with relatives telling Georgia NBC affiliate WXIA that they thought the teens were visiting friends in Boston at the time.

According to the outlet, family members said the siblings booked a 7 a.m. flight to Boston on March 7 — 24 hours before they were discovered in an area that they believe Qaadir and Naazir had never visited before.

The plane tickets were found in their wallets, family members added.

“We want answers, we want to know exactly what happened to the twins,” Samira Brawner, the twins’ aunt, told WXIA.

“They’re very protective of each other. They love each other,” their uncle, Rahim Brawner, added. “They’re like inseparable. I couldn’t imagine them hurting each other because I’ve never seen them get into a fistfight before.”

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Samira said the location where the teens were located — roughly 90 miles away from Lawrenceville — was one they had “never even heard of.”

“How did they end up out in the mountains? They don’t hike out there, they’ve never been out there,” she continued. “They don’t know anything about Hiawassee, Georgia, … So how did they end up right there?”

A spokesperson for the GBI told PEOPLE on Sunday, March 16 that an autopsy is complete and official results are pending additional forensic tests.

Another aunt, Yasmine Brawner, told WXIA that her nephews had a “huge support system. She said she thinks that “something happened in those mountains.”

Yasmine has since launched a GoFundMe campaign for their funeral and memorial expenses. In reference to reports of a murder-suicide, she wrote that they “wouldn’t do this.”

“They came from a family of love, and twins wanted so much for their future, they had dreams of starting their very own clothing line,” Yasmine continued.

“Unfortunately something happened at Bell mountain that ended the lives of 19 year old Qaadir and Naazir, which needs to be further investigated. We need your support to share their story,” she added.