Gunman kills eight, including two children, then himself in Erie, Pennsylvania

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In brief

How it came to this

Friday nightPolice chief Rick Lorah speaks to reporters and calls the circumstances deeply disturbing
Friday, lateCity posts on social media that the suspected shooter is dead and there is no threat to the public
Saturday afternoonNews conference scheduled

Gunfire and a standoff in Erie

Police in Erie, Pennsylvania, were alerted on Friday, 9 October, at about 5 p.m. local time to reports of a man firing a handgun outside a residence near East Seventh and Perry streets. Officers found two women dead in the street, then surrounded the house and ordered the gunman to come out. Further gunshots were heard during the standoff, and officers later entered the building and found more victims inside. The suspected gunman was also found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, police said. In total nine people died, including the suspect.

Officers' arrival and the city's account

Officers arrived within minutes of receiving an alert through ShotSpotter, a gunshot detection system that relies on artificial intelligence and a network of microphones. The city said all nine deaths occurred before officers arrived and that no additional shots were fired after that. The city also issued a statement that it said was intended to clear up inaccurate information circulating after the shooting, including about sounds heard during the police response.

“Sounds heard during the police response that may have been mistaken for gunfire were flash bangs associated with law enforcement's tactical response.”

City of Erie

Erie police chief Rick Lorah told a local news station that he had not seen anything like the scene in his career. He declined to give more details but described the circumstances of the shooting as deeply disturbing. Lorah also said the city had never before experienced such a loss.

“I have not seen anything like this in my 28-plus years.”

Rick Lorah

“I'm not sure that the city of Erie has ever seen the loss of life and the devastation that we just witnessed.”

Rick Lorah

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro said he had offered his administration's full support to Erie mayor Daria Devlin after the shooting, announcing it in a post on X. The mayor's office issued a joint statement saying the gunman was dead and that there was no longer any danger to residents.

Victims and motive

Police said two children and a pregnant woman were among the dead. The Independent reported eight victims in total, including a pregnant woman, two children and five others, in addition to the gunman. The victims have not been publicly identified, and no motive has been made public. Police said they would not speculate about a possible motive out of respect for the victims and their families, and investigators are working to reconstruct how the events unfolded.

Victims by category, per The Independentpeople

Data from the article text

Aftermath and next steps

Erie News Now reported that police officers who responded to the scene were being offered counseling. The city of Erie has just over 90,000 residents and sits on the lake of the same name, which forms part of the border between the United States and Canada. The city said there is no ongoing threat to the public and that the investigation remains ongoing. Authorities have released few details so far. A news conference was scheduled for Saturday afternoon, and the story is developing.