Nine people, including two children, were killed in a devastating Pennsylvania shooting that left victims in the street and prompted a tense police standoff. The suspected gunman was later found dead inside a home.
The violence broke out in Erie on Friday evening, according to Erie News Now. Residents made frantic 911 calls after hearing gunshots and reportedly seeing a man fire a handgun outside a house.
Two women were found dead in the street as heavily armed officers rushed into the neighborhood and surrounded a home where the suspected shooter had barricaded himself, the outlet reported.
When police finally entered the property, they found a horrific scene. More victims were discovered in different areas of the house, including children.
Local television station Erie News Now reported that nine people had died, including the suspected gunman. He was found with what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Police had not officially confirmed the reported death toll, released the identities of the victims or explained what led to the deadly attack.
The crisis began shortly after 5 p.m. Friday, when emergency dispatchers received urgent reports of gunfire in the 700 block of Perry Street.
Officers arriving at the scene found two women dead in the road. Their discovery launched a major police response as authorities worked to establish whether the shooter still posed an immediate threat.
Nine people, including two children, were killed in a Pennsylvania shooting rampage that left victims in the street before a tense standoff with police ended with the suspected gunman dead
Erie Police Chief Rick Lorah said the scene was one of the worst he had encountered during 28 years in law enforcement
Erie police officers and SWAT personnel surrounded the residence as the rapidly unfolding emergency turned into a standoff.
Police used a loudspeaker to repeatedly order the person inside the home to come out and surrender.
No response came, and additional gunfire was heard during the confrontation. The shots heightened fears that others inside or nearby might still be at risk.
Officers eventually entered the home and found more bodies in separate areas of the residence.
Sources who spoke with Erie News Now said children were among those killed.
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The suspected gunman was also located inside the house and appeared to have shot himself.
The discovery ended the immediate threat, but investigators were left to examine one of the most disturbing scenes the Erie Police Department had faced.
Erie Police Chief Rick Lorah spoke of the profound emotional impact on officers, calling the scene one of the most difficult his department had encountered.
An armed Erie police officer takes cover behind a protective shield during the deadly Perry Street shooting that reportedly killed nine people, including two children and the suspected gunman
Police vehicles lined Perry Street in Erie, Pennsylvania, after officers responded to reports of gunfire and discovered two women dead in the road
Heavily armed Erie SWAT officers surrounded the home on Perry Street during a tense standoff with a suspected gunman, who was later found dead inside from a self-inflicted gunshot
Shocked neighbors gathered at a police cordon following the senseless violence on Friday
Police can be seen on duty outside the home on Friday night following the deadly shootings
‘The loss of life is devastating, and the circumstances we are working through are deeply disturbing,’ Lorah said.
His comments came as detectives and forensic investigators began the painstaking task of piecing together what happened inside and outside the Perry Street property.
Authorities have yet to explain whether the victims were related, whether the gunman knew those he allegedly killed or what might have triggered the violence.
The identities and ages of the dead have also been withheld while the investigation continues.
Erie is a city in northwest Pennsylvania, on Lake Erie.
