ERIE, PA - A residential neighborhood in Erie, Pennsylvania, was the scene of a mass shooting on Friday, October 9, that claimed the lives of nine people, including children and the alleged gunman, according to authorities, NBC Philadelphia reported.
Erie police responded to a home off Perry Street at approximately 5 p.m. after witnesses reportedly saw a gunman firing shots outside before making his way inside the house.
By the time police arrived, the gunman had reportedly barricaded himself inside the home, leading to a standoff as Erie police and SWAT teams surrounded the residence. Responding officers reportedly found two women, who have not yet been publicly identified, dead in the street.
Additional gunfire was reportedly heard coming from inside the home before police entered the residence, although no officers were directly fired upon, Fox News reported.
Local authorities confirmed nine deaths stemming from the incident, including six victims found inside the home, as well as the gunman, who appeared to have died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Officials have not yet released a possible motive or said how the gunman and victims were connected.
Erie Police Chief Rick Lorah told members of the media that the scene was “one of the most difficult” he and his department have ever responded to, noting that details of the case that have not been publicly released “are deeply disturbing.”
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro also issued a statement on the shooting.
“I’ve spoken with Mayor [Daria] Devlin and offered my Administration’s full support following the tragic mass shooting in Erie last night - killing nine of our fellow Pennsylvanians. My heart breaks for this family. Lori and I are praying for their loved ones and the entire Erie community,” Shapiro said.
Lorah confirmed there is no “ongoing threat to the public” and said investigators are actively working to determine what led up to the shooting.
Comments