ERIE, Pa. — A 45-year-old man killed eight people, including a pregnant woman, children and other relatives, inside his Erie, Pennsylvania, home before taking his own life, authorities said Saturday.
Erie Police Chief Rick Lorah said the gunman was related to seven of the victims in Friday’s shooting. The eighth victim was a friend of the pregnant woman.
Investigators recovered video and audio from the scene, including muffled gunshots heard inside the house shortly before two distressed women arrived and began pounding on the door just before 5 p.m. Friday. The gunman came outside, shot the women as they ran toward him and then went back inside, Lorah said.
Officers found the two women dead outside when they arrived. After deploying a drone and robot, police entered the home and discovered the bodies of a 5-year-old boy and a 1-year-old girl on the first floor, two women and two young men in a stairwell, and the shooter on the second floor.
“Out of respect for the victims and the families, I will not discuss the details of what our officers encountered inside that home,” the chief said at a news conference. “But I want our community to understand the gravity of what happened and the profound impact this tragedy has had on those involved and on our community as a whole.”
Lorah did not discuss a possible motive. He said investigators planned to interview additional relatives and review the cellphones belonging to the women killed outside the home.
“They knew something was going on at that house,” Lorah said. “We have to figure out what that is.”
Police arrived within minutes of receiving an alert from ShotSpotter, a controversial gunshot detection system that uses artificial intelligence and a network of microphones to identify possible gunfire. Lorah said no further shots were fired after officers arrived.
He said sounds that could have been mistaken for gunshots were caused by flashbang devices, chemical munitions used by SWAT officers.
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Gov. Josh Shapiro said he had offered his administration’s “full support” to Erie Mayor Daria Devlin, who addressed the victims’ families during the news conference.
“I am so deeply sorry. What happened to you was horrific, and there is nothing that any of us can say today that will make this any easier,” Devlin said. “But you do need to know that our entire community is with you, we’re grieving with you. And we are here to support you.”
District Attorney Elizabeth Hirz asked the public not to speculate while the investigation continues.
“Please do not allow rumors, speculation or unverified information to add to the pain that these families are already experiencing,” she said.
Erie is located about 120 miles (190 kilometers) north of Pittsburgh.
Speaking at a campaign rally outside Philadelphia, Shapiro referred to both the Erie killings and the shooting of two Philadelphia police officers early Saturday.
“Today has been a dark day across this commonwealth,” he said.
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Ramer reported from Concord, New Hampshire. Jacqueline GaNun is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
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