Two young children and a pregnant woman were among those killed at a Perry Street home, police said.
ERIE, Pa. — A 45-year-old man killed eight people, including two young children and a pregnant woman, at an Erie home Friday before dying by suicide, authorities said Saturday as investigators worked to determine what led to the violence.
The suspected gunman and eight victims accounted for nine deaths in the Oct. 9 shooting, Erie Police Chief Rick Lorah said. Seven of the victims were related to the gunman, while another was a friend of the pregnant woman. Authorities said the victims ranged from a young child to a 51-year-old adult. Their names had not been publicly released as officials worked to notify relatives.
Police responded to the area of Perry and East Seventh streets shortly before 5 p.m. after receiving an alert about gunfire. Officers found two women dead outside the residence. Authorities later said investigators determined that all nine deaths occurred before officers arrived and that no additional gunfire occurred after police reached the scene.
Video and audio evidence reviewed by investigators showed two distressed women arriving outside the home and trying to attract attention shortly before police were called, Lorah said. Investigators believe gunfire had already occurred inside the residence. The gunman then came outside and shot the two women before returning to the home, according to police.
Officers surrounded the residence and called in a tactical team while trying to determine whether anyone remained alive inside and whether the gunman still posed a threat. Police later said sounds that some witnesses may have mistaken for additional gunfire during the response were flash-bang devices used by law enforcement. Officers eventually entered the house after obtaining a warrant.
Inside, officers found a 5-year-old boy and a girl who was nearly 2 years old, along with four adults, police said. The adult victims included two women, ages 24 and 44, and two men, ages 19 and 21. One of the women was eight months pregnant. The two women found outside were 37 and 51, according to authorities.
The suspected gunman was found dead on the second floor from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, Lorah said. Investigators recovered a .40-caliber handgun that authorities said was registered to him. Police said officers did not fire their weapons during the response.
Investigators had not established a motive. Lorah said police were reviewing physical evidence, recordings and electronic devices as they worked to understand what happened before the killings. Authorities had not publicly identified a particular dispute or event that triggered the shooting.
The killings stunned Erie, a city in northwestern Pennsylvania on Lake Erie. Mayor Daria Devlin praised first responders who entered what she described as a devastating scene. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said he had spoken with Devlin and offered the support of his administration following the mass shooting.
Police said there was no continuing threat to the public after the home was secured. The investigation remained active as authorities worked to complete a timeline, examine evidence and notify the victims’ relatives before releasing additional identifying information.
Author note: Last updated October 11, 2026.