A shooting in a residential area of Erie left nine dead including two children, a pregnant woman and the suspected shooter, authorities said.
Erie Police Chief Rick Lorah said the 45-year-old male gunman was related to seven of the victims in Friday’s shooting, while the eighth was a friend of the pregnant woman.
Video and audio evidence recovered by investigators showed two “distressed” women arriving at the home shortly before 5 p.m. and pounding on the door, he said. The gunman then came out and shot them before returning inside.
Police arrived to find the two women dead outside. Inside they found the bodies of a 5-year-old boy, a 1-year-old girl, two more women, two young men and the shooter.
Lorah declined to discuss the motive but said investigators would talk to other relatives and examine the cellphones of the women who were killed outside the home.
“They knew something was going on at that house,” he said. “We have to figure out what that is.”
Officers are said to have arrived within minutes of receiving an alert via ShotSpotter, a controversial gunshot detection system that relies on artificial intelligence and a network of microphones to identify gunshots. The city said in a statement that no additional shots were fired after that.
“Sounds heard during the police response that may have been mistaken for gunfire were flash bangs associated with law enforcement’s tactical response,” the city said.
“I have not seen anything like this in my 28-plus years,” Lorah told a local news station earlier in the day. “I’m not sure that the city of Erie has ever seen the loss of life and the devastation that we just witnessed.”
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and scores of other local, state and federal officials are responding to the mass shooting in Erie Friday that left nine people dead, including children and the alleged shooter.
“I’ve spoken with (Erie Mayor Daria) Devlin and offered my Administration’s full support following the tragic mass shooting in Erie last night — killing nine of our fellow Pennsylvanians,” Shapiro said. “My heart breaks for this family. Lori and I are praying for their loved ones and the entire Erie community.”
US Rep. Mike Kelly, who represents Erie in Congress, also offered his condolences.
“I’m praying for the Erie community after the devastating events on Friday night,” Kelly said. “May we hold the victims, their families, and those impacted by this tragedy in our hearts.”
Devlin’s office called the shooting, which occurred at a home in the 700 block of Perry Street on the east side of Erie, “a terrible tragedy.”
“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,” Devlin’s office said Friday night, noting that there is no ongoing threat to the public.
“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 Department, and will provide updates as soon as verified information becomes available.”
