Eight people, including a pregnant woman and two children, have been killed in a Pennsylvania mass shooting in the city of Erie. The 45-year-old gunman also died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound before police reached the property on Friday.
Police have not identified the shooter and have yet to establish a motive. Erie Police Chief Rick Lorah said eight of the victims were members of one family, while the ninth person killed was a family friend.
After entering the home, the gunman came back outside and shot two women who appeared distressed and were pacing as they sought help from neighbours. Officers found both women dead outside when they arrived.
Police used a drone and a robot before entering the property. Inside, they found the bodies of a five-year-old boy and a one-year-old girl on the first floor, along with two women and two young men in a stairwell. The shooter was found on the second floor.
“Some scenes stay with you long after you leave them. This is one of those tragic scenes,” Chief Lorah said.
He added: “Out of respect for the victims and the families, I will not discuss the details of what our officers encountered inside that home. 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.”
Erie Mayor Daria Devlin said officers had “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,” she said.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro said he had spoken with Mayor Devlin and offered support following what he described as “the tragic mass shooting”.
