Nine people have died, including two children and a pregnant woman, after a mass shooting at a family home in Erie, Pennsylvania. Police said officers arrived on the scene on Friday evening to find two women dead outside. Inside the house, they found the bodies of a five-year-old boy, a one-year-old girl, two more women, two young men, and the shooter.
Gunman related to seven victims
Erie Police Chief Rick Lorah said the 45-year-old male gunman was related to seven of the victims, while the eighth was a friend of the pregnant woman. CCTV footage showed two "distressed" women arriving at the home shortly before 5pm and banging on the door, he said, before the gunman shot them and returned inside.
Detectives would now speak to the victims' relatives and go through their mobile phones to attempt to piece together a motive for the shooting, Chief Lorah said, adding: "They knew something was going on at that house - we have to figure out what that is."
Police chief: 'I have not seen anything like this'
The police chief had told a local news station earlier in the day: "I have not seen anything like this in my 28-plus years. I'm not sure that the city of Erie has ever seen the loss of life and the devastation that we just witnessed." Officers had received an alert about the incident via ShotSpotter, an app that uses AI and a network of microphones to identify and report gunshots.
Governor offers support
Governor Josh Shapiro said he had offered his administration's "full support" to Erie Mayor Daria Devlin. He wrote on X: "I’ve spoken with Mayor Devlin and offered my Administration’s full support following the tragic mass shooting in Erie last night, killing nine of our fellow Pennsylvanians. My heart breaks for this family. Lori and I are praying for their loved ones and the entire Erie community."
A statement issued by the City of Erie said: "We understand that this news brings deep shock and sorrow to our residents, and we want to assure the public that the situation has been contained. The shooter is deceased, and there is no ongoing threat or danger to the public at this time. Our thoughts are with the victims, their loved ones, and everyone impacted by tonight’s tragedy. We will continue working closely with our Erie Police Dept, and will provide updates as soon as verified information becomes available."
