Two young children and a pregnant woman were among those killed before the 45-year-old gunman died by suicide, authorities said.
ERIE, PA — A 45-year-old man killed eight people at an Erie home, including seven relatives and a family friend, before fatally shooting himself, police said Saturday. The victims included two young children and a 24-year-old woman who was eight months pregnant.
The shooting Friday near Seventh and Perry streets left nine people dead when the gunman is included, making it one of the deadliest shootings in Erie’s history. Erie Police Chief Rick Lorah said investigators were still working to determine why the man opened fire. Authorities had not publicly identified the gunman or the victims as of Saturday evening while officials continued notifying relatives.
Police said the violence began inside the home before officers arrived. Video and audio evidence reviewed by investigators captured muffled gunfire from the residence shortly before two distressed women arrived and began pounding on the door near 5 p.m. The women, ages 51 and 37, were trying to get into the home as the shooting was unfolding, according to police.
Lorah said the gunman came outside and shot the two women before returning to the house. One of the women was related to the family and the other was a friend of the pregnant woman, according to authorities. Officers responding to a ShotSpotter gunfire alert arrived within minutes and found the women outside the residence. Police said the shooting had stopped before officers reached the scene.
A SWAT team later entered the home. Officers found a 5-year-old boy and a 1-year-old girl dead on the first floor, police said. Four other victims were found near a second-floor stairway: a 24-year-old pregnant woman, a 44-year-old woman, a 19-year-old man and a 21-year-old man. Authorities said seven of the eight victims were related to the gunman, but they had not released a detailed account of the family relationships.
The gunman was found dead on the second floor from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, authorities said. Investigators recovered a .40-caliber handgun that was registered to him. Police said no shots were fired after officers arrived, and investigators believe everyone who was fatally wounded had already been shot before the first officers reached the property.
Officials emphasized the timing of the police response after questions circulated about how officers handled the scene. The city said officers arrived within minutes of receiving the gunfire alert. Lorah said police heard no gunfire or calls for help and saw no movement inside when they arrived. The circumstances led authorities to secure the area and use a SWAT team before entering the residence.
Erie County Coroner Lyell Cook ruled the deaths of the shooting victims homicides and the gunman’s death a suicide. The coroner’s office was still working to contact relatives before releasing names publicly. The victims ranged in age from 1 to 51. Officials said the pregnant woman was about eight months into her pregnancy.
The scale of the killings shook city officials and responding officers. Lorah described the scene as one that would remain with those who witnessed it, saying, “Some scenes stay with you long after you leave them. This is one of those scenes.” Erie Mayor Daria Devlin expressed sympathy for the victims’ relatives and the wider community as authorities continued working through the aftermath.
Investigators had not announced a motive Saturday. Police were examining evidence from the home, surveillance recordings and victims’ cellphones as they tried to establish what led to the shooting. Authorities said there was no continuing threat to the public and cautioned residents against circulating unverified information while the investigation remains open.
Author note: Last updated October 10, 2026.