Erie police SWAT officers breach residence where nine people died in tragedy
Investigators say nine people died in a tragedy inside an Erie residence after police SWAT officers breached the home. Before officers went inside, the suspect died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. Officials also clarified that reports of gunfire during the police response were actually sounds from flash-bang devices and chemical munitions deployed by the SWAT team.
Relatives of the victims said the 45-year-old Erie, Pennsylvania, man who killed eight people—including a pregnant woman and two young children—had appeared distressed before the massacre. The man was also the grandfather of some of those killed.
“I think that was a front for him,” Julius Windham said Sunday at a memorial for the victims. Among those killed were his 1-year-old daughter, Amarianna; her pregnant mother; the woman’s 5-year-old son; and her unborn baby.
“Every day, he was smiling and just being himself—you would never think something like that could happen,” Windham said.
Julius Windham visits a memorial outside the Erie, Pennsylvania, home where authorities say a gunman killed several people, including Windham’s daughter, on Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey)
The gunman died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound after Friday evening’s shooting, Erie Police Chief Rick Lorah said. Authorities have not publicly identified the shooter or the victims, but Lorah said the gunman was related to seven of the eight people he killed. The eighth victim was a friend of the pregnant woman.
Nicole and Debra Eller said they had known the family for more than 30 years. Their best friend was among those killed.
Nicole Eller said the shooter “was a good guy, and then he started going downhill with everything.”
“They were a lovely family. Who would have thought this would ever happen?” Debra Eller said. “Oh my gosh, this is so upsetting. This should have never happened to her, the kids or anybody. His grandchildren, his children—how can you do that?”
Firefighters clean blood outside a home at 722 Perry Street in Erie, Pennsylvania, after nine people were killed in an apparent domestic dispute on Oct. 10, 2026. (Jeff Swensen/Getty Images)
Mourners gathered Sunday outside the home where the shooting occurred, placing candles, flowers and stuffed animals at a growing memorial. Windham wore a T-shirt displaying photos of the women and children who died, along with the words, “Forever In My Heart.”
“Words can’t even explain what I’m going through right now,” Windham said. “But I’ve got to be strong for my community, you know what I’m saying? My family, my daughters, my sons, everybody.”
Investigators recovered video and audio evidence containing muffled gunshots from inside the home shortly before two “distressed” women arrived and began pounding on the door, Lorah said. The gunman then came outside and shot the women as they ran toward him before going back inside.
A pregnant Pennsylvania woman who was days from giving birth and her two young children were among eight people killed in a mass shooting at an Erie home Friday, according to authorities and local reports. (Jeff Swensen/Getty Images and GoFundMe)
Police arrived within minutes after receiving an alert from ShotSpotter, a gunshot-detection system. No additional shots were fired after officers reached the scene, Lorah said. He added that sounds later mistaken for gunfire came from flash-bang devices used by SWAT officers.
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Responding officers found the two women dead outside the house. After deploying a drone and a robot, police entered the residence and found the bodies of the 5-year-old boy and 1-year-old girl on the first floor, two more women and two young men in a stairwell, and the shooter on the second floor.
“Out of respect for the victims and their families, I will not discuss the details of what our officers encountered inside that home,” Lorah said during 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.”
The home at 722 Perry Street stands in Erie, Pennsylvania, after nine people were killed in an apparent domestic dispute on Oct. 10, 2026, the city of Erie said Saturday. (Jeff Swensen/Getty Images)
Lorah declined to discuss a possible motive but said mental health issues could be a factor. Investigators plan to interview relatives and examine the cellphones belonging to the women who were killed outside the home.
“They knew something was going on at that house,” Lorah said. “We have to figure out what that is.”
Lorah said the scene was devastating for first responders.
“Some scenes stay with you long after you leave them. This is one of those tragic scenes,” he said.
Erie police responded to the 700 block of Perry Street on Oct. 9, 2026, following reports of two women shot outside a residence. (Erie Police Department)
Erie Mayor Daria Devlin said the police department “arrived at a horrific scene, faced unimaginable circumstances, and carried out their duties with courage and professionalism.”
“They too are members of this community, and they too will carry the weight of what happened last night,” Devlin said at a Saturday news conference, addressing the victims’ families directly: “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.
“Our entire community is with you, we’re grieving with you. And we are here to support you.”
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said he spoke with Devlin and offered his administration’s “full support” after what he called “the tragic mass shooting.” Speaking later at a campaign rally outside Philadelphia, Shapiro also referenced the shooting of two Philadelphia police officers earlier Saturday.
“Today has been a dark day across this commonwealth,” Shapiro said.
District Attorney Elizabeth Hirz urged the public not to spread unverified information while investigators continue their work.
“Please do not allow rumors, speculation or unverified information to add to the pain that these families are already experiencing,” Hirz said.
