Two young children and a pregnant woman were among those killed in the Perry Street shooting, 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 one of the deadliest shootings in the city’s history.
Erie Police Chief Rick Lorah said seven of the eight victims were related to the suspected gunman and the eighth was a friend of the pregnant woman. The victims ranged in age from 1 to 51, according to authorities. Police have not publicly released their names. The gunman was included in the overall death toll of nine, clearing up early reports that left uncertainty over whether nine victims had died in addition to the shooter.
Police responded shortly before 5 p.m. Oct. 9 to a residence near East Seventh and Perry streets after a gunshot-detection system alerted officers to gunfire. When officers arrived, they found two women, ages 51 and 37, dead outside the home. Investigators later determined the fatal shootings had occurred before officers reached the scene, and police said no additional gunfire took place after their arrival.
Investigators reviewing video and audio evidence said two distressed women had arrived at the property and tried to attract attention shortly before police were called. Lorah said evidence indicated gunfire had already occurred inside the residence. The gunman then came outside and fatally shot the two women before returning to the home, according to police. Officers arriving minutes later encountered what they initially treated as an active and potentially continuing threat.
Police surrounded the house and brought in a tactical team while attempting to determine whether anyone inside remained alive or whether the gunman still posed a danger. Authorities later clarified that sounds heard during the police operation that some witnesses believed were additional gunshots were flash-bang devices used by officers. Police eventually entered the home after obtaining the legal authority to search it and found the remaining victims and the suspected gunman inside.
Among those found dead were a 5-year-old boy and a 1-year-old girl, authorities said. A pregnant woman was also among the victims. Other adults killed in the shooting ranged in age from their late teens to their 50s. Officials said most of those killed were relatives of the gunman, while one victim was a family friend. Authorities have not released additional identifying information as relatives are notified and the investigation continues.
The suspected gunman was found dead on the second floor of the residence from what authorities described as an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. Investigators recovered a .40-caliber handgun registered to him, according to authorities. Police said officers did not fire their weapons during the response. The circumstances leading up to the killings remained under investigation Saturday, and officials had not announced a confirmed motive.
Lorah said investigators were reviewing evidence, including electronic devices, as they tried to understand what preceded the violence. Authorities have not publicly established a specific dispute or event that triggered the killings. Because the suspected gunman is dead, investigators will have to rely heavily on physical evidence, recordings, digital information and accounts from people familiar with the family as they attempt to reconstruct the events.
The scale of the deaths brought an outpouring of grief from city and state officials. Erie Mayor Daria Devlin described the shooting as a devastating loss for the community, while Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said he had spoken with the mayor and offered the full support of his administration. Officials also stressed that there was no continuing threat to the public after police secured the home.
The investigation remained active Saturday as Erie police and other authorities continued processing evidence and working to establish a fuller timeline. Officials had not released the names of the eight victims or the suspected gunman, and a motive had not been confirmed. Police said additional information would be released when investigators could verify it and families had been properly notified.
Author note: Last updated October 10, 2026.