A man has been identified as the shooter in a mass killing that claimed the lives of three generations of his own family in Erie, Pennsylvania, on Friday, October 9. Matthew Stone, 45, shot and killed his wife, Michelle, 44, their sons Jonathan, 19, and Matthew Jr., 21, and their pregnant daughter, Angelina Stone, 24.
Angelina's children, Isaiah, five, and Amari'anna, who was almost two, were also killed. Angelina was reportedly four days away from giving birth to her third child, a son she had planned to name Kyrie, according to CBS News.
Victims included family friend and sister-in-law
Stone also murdered Michelle's sister, Lora Roberts, 37, and family friend Twila Tanner, 51, who were reportedly trying to protect the children. After the shooting, Stone turned the gun on himself, the coroner's office confirmed. All deaths except the shooter's have been ruled homicides.
Police have not announced a motive, and investigations are continuing. The shooting took place at a property in Erie around 5 pm local time, according to People.
Police describe tragic scene
Erie Police Chief Rick Lorah confirmed that seven of the eight victims were related to the gunman, while the eighth was a family friend. Lorah said in a press conference: 'Video evidence reviewed by investigators shows those two women arriving at the residence, hearing distress, seeking assistance from neighbours and pounding on the door.'
He continued: 'The audio video also appears to capture muffled gunfire from inside the residence before the suspect emerged and fatally shot both women.' A press release from the City of Erie revealed that police reached the scene within minutes, which Lorah described as 'tragic.'
The Daily Mail reported that a drone and robot captured the crime scene, where nine bodies were found. The bodies of the five-year-old boy and one-year-old girl were found on the first floor, two women and two young men in a stairwell, and the shooter on the second floor.
Family and friends speak out
Lorah said: 'Some scenes stay with you long after you leave them. This is one of those tragic scenes.' Family friend Lisa Simmers spoke to CBS News about Angelina, saying: 'Her two babies were on the spectrum. Innocent children, couldn't have told on that man if they wanted to, and he still killed them.'
Amari'anna's father, Juicesiyah Alexander Ezekiel, also known as Julius Windham, spoke to Erie News Now. He said he wouldn't wish his situation on his 'worst enemy.' Ezekiel held a vigil on Saturday outside the home where his daughter and the other victims were killed. He admitted that Stone showed no signs of distress before the shootings.
Ezekiel's sister, Aaliyah Williams, has set up a GoFundMe page to raise money for funeral support for Angelina, Isiah, Amari'anna, and unborn Kyrie. The page, which has raised $41,817 of a $45,000 goal, states: 'Angelina's father killed Angelina and her children in a murder-suicide, and now our family is facing the painful task of laying them to rest.'
The City of Erie said in a statement: 'Our hearts remain with the victims, their loved ones, and all those affected by this devastating loss of life.'
