ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA / RankWire.AI / – Eight people were killed in a shooting at a home in Erie, Pennsylvania, before the gunman apparently took his own life, police said. The deaths brought the total toll to nine. The victims included a pregnant woman, a 5-year-old boy and a 1-year-old girl. Police Chief Rick Lorah said seven of the eight victims were relatives of the 45-year-old shooter. The eighth victim was a friend of the pregnant woman.
Police said the attack began shortly before 5 p.m. on Oct. 9 at a Perry Street residence. Investigators reviewed video and audio that captured muffled gunfire from inside the house. Two distressed women later arrived and pounded on the door. Police said the shooter came outside and fired at both women as they moved toward him. He then went back inside the home. Officers reached the area within minutes after a ShotSpotter alert detected gunfire.
Officers found the two women dead outside when they reached the property. Police first sent a drone and robot into the house before officers entered. They found the two young children on the first floor. Officers found two women and two young men in a stairwell. They located the gunman on the second floor with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. Authorities said all nine deaths occurred before police arrived at the scene.
Investigators seek answers after Erie shooting
Investigators have not established a motive for the Erie mass shooting. Lorah said detectives planned to interview relatives and examine phones belonging to the women killed outside. Police have not publicly released the gunman’s name or the names of the victims. Investigators continued working to reconstruct what happened before the first shots. Erie County District Attorney Elizabeth Hirz asked the public to avoid spreading rumors or unverified claims while the case remains under investigation.
Police also addressed reports that people heard more gunfire after officers reached the home. Lorah said those sounds came from flashbang devices used by SWAT officers during the response. He said no further shots were fired after police arrived. That clarification established that the killings had ended before officers entered the property. The Erie Police Department continued reviewing evidence from the home and surrounding area to confirm the sequence of events.
Pennsylvania officials respond as community mourns
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said he spoke with Erie Mayor Daria Devlin after the shooting and offered state support. Devlin expressed condolences to the victims’ families during a Saturday news conference. She also thanked first responders who handled the scene. Officials said investigators were still collecting evidence and had not announced a motive. Erie is in northwestern Pennsylvania, near Lake Erie and about 120 miles north of Pittsburgh.
Mourners later placed flowers, candles and stuffed animals outside the Perry Street home. Relatives, friends and other community members gathered near the property as the city mourned. Police confirmed that eight victims died in the attack and the shooter also died. Authorities continued to withhold the identities of those killed while the investigation remained active. Detectives continued examining evidence as police worked to establish a complete account of the deaths.