Nine people, including a pregnant woman and two young children, have died in a shooting in Pennsylvania. The gunman opened fire inside a family home, with police racing to the scene on Perry Street in Erie at around 5pm local time on Friday.
Gunman exchanges fire with SWAT team
There was an exchange of gunfire between the shooter and a SWAT team after he barricaded himself inside the property. The shooter then turned the gun on himself, according to cops.
Police found two women in the road with fatal gunshot wounds. They then discovered more dead bodies throughout the property.
Police chief describes 'heartbreaking' scene
Erie Police Chief Rick Lorah said: “I wanna be candid with our community, this is one of the most difficult and heartbreaking scenes that our officers and investigators have ever encountered.
“The loss of life is devastating and the circumstances that we are working through are deeply disturbing.”
Motive not yet established
The relationship between the shooter and his victims is not yet known. No motive for the killings has been established, and the exact circumstances of deaths have not been shared “out of respect for the victims”, said Lorah.
Lorah said there was “no ongoing threat to the public”, adding: “Our hearts are with the victims, their families and everyone affected by this tragedy.
“There are no words that can adequately express the magnitude of the loss of life here.”
Images showed armed officers with their guns focused on the home during the stand-off. The shooter is understood to have been armed with a handgun.
