Erie Pennsylvania shooting leaves nine dead
A 45-year-old man shot and killed eight people at a home in Erie, Pennsylvania, on Friday evening before taking his own life, police said on Saturday. The victims included a pregnant woman and two children.
Erie Police Chief Rick Lorah revealed the details at a press conference, describing a scene unlike anything officers in the city had faced before. Police were called to the Perry Street home at about 5pm on Friday after reports of shots fired.
Officers found two women dead in the street outside the house. They surrounded the building and ordered the gunman to come out. More shots were heard during the standoff. When officers eventually entered, they found more victims inside, along with the gunman, who had died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
What the press conference revealed
Lorah said the shooter first entered the home and then came back outside, where he shot two women who appeared distressed and were pacing back and forth seeking help from neighbours. A witness saw the gunman firing at the two women in the street.
Police later found the suspect dead on the second floor of the house. The shooter has not yet been publicly identified, and police say they have not established a motive for the attack.
Eight of the nine people who died were related to one another, including the suspected shooter, Lorah said. The ninth victim was a family friend. Erie County Coroner Lyell Cook said his office had begun the process of confirming the identities of all nine victims.
Most of the victims were pronounced dead at the scene. One person was taken to hospital and pronounced dead there, the coroner said. Cook added that his office had not yet ruled on any of the deaths and had not decided whether autopsies would be carried out.
Victims included a pregnant woman and two children
Among the dead were a pregnant woman, a five-year-old boy and a one-year-old girl, officials confirmed. One of the victims was eight months pregnant, according to local reports.
The ages and relationships of the victims were released at the Saturday press conference, a day after the shooting. Police said the investigation into the shooting was continuing, with detectives still piecing together the sequence of events inside the house.
Officers who responded to the scene are being offered counselling, local media reported. Mayor Daria Devlin said the police department arrived at a horrific scene, faced unimaginable circumstances, and carried out its duties with courage and professionalism.
She added that the officers are members of the community too, and they will carry the weight of what happened on Friday night.
Governor offers support as motive remains unknown
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro said he had spoken with the mayor and offered the state’s support after the tragic mass shooting. Shapiro has long pushed for stricter gun laws in Pennsylvania, including universal background checks and restrictions on untraceable ghost guns. Several of his proposals have stalled in the state legislature.
Police have not said what weapon was used or how the shooter obtained it. Lorah told reporters that detectives were working to establish the gunman’s relationship to each of the victims and what led to the violence. In Pakistan, a separate shooting investigation is under way after a newly married couple was gunned down near Larkana.
The shooting came as the world was already reeling from other deadly attacks, including Israeli strikes that killed five people in Gaza and the Riyadh airport attack that killed 12.
It ranks among the deadliest mass shootings in Pennsylvania in recent years. Police said further updates would follow as the coroner’s office confirms identities and the investigation moves forward.
FAQ
How many people died in the Erie Pennsylvania shooting?
Nine people died, including the suspected shooter. The gunman killed eight victims and then died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, police said.
Who was the Erie shooter?
Police described the shooter as a 45-year-old man but had not publicly identified him by Saturday. Eight of the nine people who died were related to one another, including the suspected shooter, according to Police Chief Rick Lorah.
Has a motive been established?
No. Police said on Saturday that they had yet to establish a motive. Detectives are still piecing together the sequence of events and the gunman’s relationship to the victims.
What did officials say after the shooting?
Police Chief Rick Lorah called it a horrific scene unlike anything city officers had seen. Mayor Daria Devlin praised the officers’ courage and professionalism, and Governor Josh Shapiro offered the state’s support.
