The gunman who killed eight people in Erie, Pennsylvania, appeared to be an ordinary, cheerful grandfather, according to the father of one of the youngest victims.
Julius Windham’s 1-year-old daughter, Amarianna, was among those killed in Friday’s mass shooting. Her pregnant mother, the woman’s 5-year-old son and her unborn baby also died. Standing Sunday at a memorial for the victims, Windham said the shooter’s outward demeanor may have concealed what was happening inside.
“Him every day, him smiling and being just — you would think of nothing like that would happen,” Windham said. “I think that was a front for him.”
The 45-year-old gunman later died by suicide. Authorities have not identified him publicly, but Erie Police Chief Rick Lorah said he was related to seven of the victims. The eighth victim was a friend of the pregnant woman. Police have not released the victims’ names.
Those killed include 2 women outside the home
On Sunday, mourners left candles, flowers and stuffed animals outside the home where the shooting began shortly before 5 p.m. Friday. Windham stood at the memorial wearing a T-shirt displaying photos of the women and children, along with the words, “Forever In My Heart.”
“Words can’t even explain what I’m going through right now,” Windham said. “But I gotta be strong for my community, you know what I’m saying? My family, my daughters, my sons, everybody.”
Investigators recovered video and audio evidence that included muffled gunshots from inside the house shortly before two “distressed” women arrived and pounded on the door, Lorah said. The gunman came outside and shot the women as they ran toward him, then went back into the home.
Officers responding to the scene found the two women dead outside. After using a drone and a robot, police entered the house and found the bodies of the 5-year-old boy and 1-year-old girl on the first floor, two other 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.
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Lorah added that he wanted the community to recognize “the gravity of what happened and the profound impact this tragedy has had on those involved and on our community as a whole.”
Police decline to discuss motive as investigation continues
Erie is located about 120 miles (190 kilometers) north of Pittsburgh.
Lorah declined to discuss a possible motive, though he indicated that mental health could be a factor. Investigators plan to speak with relatives and examine the cellphones belonging to the women who were killed outside the house.
“They knew something was going on at that house,” Lorah said. “We have to figure out what that is.”
Nicole and Debra Eller said they had known the family for more than 30 years. Their best friend was among the victims. 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 or the kids or anybody. His grandchildren, his kids, how can you do that?”
The Erie shooting recalled a 1982 massacre in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, where a man killed 13 people, including five of his own children.
During a news conference Saturday, Erie Mayor Daria Devlin directed part of her remarks to the victims’ families.
“I am so deeply sorry,” Devlin said. “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.”
