The 45-year-old gunman died by suicide after a shooting that killed two children and a pregnant woman, police said.
ERIE, Pa. — A 45-year-old grandfather killed eight people, including two young children and a pregnant woman, at an Erie home before dying by suicide, authorities said, as investigators worked Sunday to determine what led to the deadly attack.
Erie Police Chief Rick Lorah said the gunman was related to seven of the eight people he killed. The eighth victim was a family friend. Authorities had not publicly released the gunman’s name as of Sunday, and police said they were continuing to interview relatives, review electronic evidence and reconstruct the events before the shooting. The attack occurred Friday afternoon near East Seventh and Perry streets and left nine people dead when the gunman is included in the total.
Police were sent to the home shortly before 5 p.m. Friday after a gunshot-detection system alerted authorities to shots in the area. Officers arriving at the property found two women, ages 37 and 51, dead outside. Investigators later determined from video and audio evidence that the women had arrived at the residence appearing distressed and had tried to get the attention of people nearby before they were shot, Lorah said.
Officers did not immediately know how many people remained inside the house or whether the gunman was still a threat. Police surrounded the residence and obtained a search warrant while a SWAT team prepared to enter. Authorities used specialized equipment, including a robot, to examine parts of the home before officers went inside. Police later said the victims had been killed before officers entered and that no gunfire was exchanged with law enforcement.
Inside the home, officers found a 1-year-old girl, a 5-year-old boy, a 24-year-old woman, a 44-year-old woman and a 19-year-old man among those killed. The 45-year-old gunman was also found inside with what authorities said was a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Police said one of the women killed inside was eight months pregnant. Authorities have not counted the unborn child separately in the official total of eight homicide victims.
Relatives identified the pregnant woman as Angelina Stone. Julius Windham, whose 1-year-old daughter Amarianna was among the victims, told The Associated Press that the gunman was the family’s grandfather and had not appeared unusually distressed before the shooting. Windham also lost the pregnant mother of his child and her 5-year-old son. He joined mourners Sunday at a memorial outside the home, where people left flowers, candles and stuffed animals.
Police said everyone found dead inside the residence had been living there and that eight of the nine people who died, including the shooter, were related. One of the women killed outside was described by authorities as a family friend. Investigators have not publicly established why the two women came to the house shortly before they were killed, although evidence reviewed by police showed that they appeared alarmed and were attempting to draw attention to the residence.
Lorah said investigators had not identified a clear motive. He said authorities were looking into whether mental health may have been a factor but cautioned that the investigation was continuing. Police planned to examine phones and other evidence that could help establish what happened before the first shots were fired. Officials have urged the public not to spread rumors while detectives continue interviewing surviving family members and witnesses.
The police chief described the residence as the worst scene he had encountered during nearly three decades in law enforcement. Erie County District Attorney Elizabeth Hirz also urged residents to rely on verified information, saying speculation could cause additional pain for families already dealing with a devastating loss. Erie Mayor Daria Devlin said the city was working with crisis and behavioral health organizations to support relatives, neighbors and emergency personnel affected by the shooting.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said he had spoken with Devlin and offered state assistance after the killings. The shooting came during a particularly deadly period in Pennsylvania and prompted renewed mourning across Erie, where residents gathered during the weekend to remember the victims. Authorities emphasized that the gunman was dead and there was no continuing threat to the community.
Investigators had not announced a final motive or publicly identified all of those killed by Sunday night. Police said their work would continue through interviews, examination of electronic evidence and review of recordings from around the home as they try to establish the sequence of events and what prompted the gunman to attack members of his own family and a family friend.
Author note: Last updated October 11, 2026.