Nine people, including two children, were killed in a shooting in Erie, Pennsylvania, on Friday, October 9, in what police describe as one of the most devastating crime scenes in the department’s history.
Officers were called to the area of Perry Street near East 7th Street around 5 p.m. after witnesses reported a man firing a gun before entering a home. A ShotSpotter gunfire-detection alert also went off in the area. When officers arrived, they found two women dead in the street and more victims, including children, dead inside the home.
The suspected gunman was found dead inside the residence with what police say was an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. Authorities say all of the deaths occurred before officers reached the scene.
After the initial response, a standoff developed and a SWAT team was deployed. Police said the sounds neighbors heard later in the evening were flash-bang devices used by tactical officers, not additional gunfire.
Erie Police Chief Rick Lorah called the scene among the most difficult he has encountered in more than 28 years in law enforcement, according to reports. Governor Josh Shapiro offered the state’s full support to Erie Mayor Daria Devlin. Police say there is no ongoing threat to the public, but investigators are still working to establish the circumstances and motive.
