Nine people are dead after an Erie, Pennsylvania mass shooting Friday evening, when witnesses saw a man firing a gun on Perry Street and watched him walk into a home at 722 Perry Street, where police later found multiple bodies. Among the dead were a 22-month-old girl, a 5-year-old boy, and a 24-year-old woman who was eight months pregnant. The suspected gunman, a 45-year-old man, also died of what police believe was a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
TL;DR: Around 5 p.m. Friday, October 9, a man opened fire on Perry Street in Erie, Pennsylvania, then entered a home at 722 Perry Street. Nine people died in all. Erie police say eight of the dead were related and the ninth was a family friend. The suspected gunman killed the people inside the home and two women outside before turning the gun on himself. Gov. Josh Shapiro called it a “tragic mass shooting.”
What Police Say Happened on Perry Street
Witnesses reported seeing a man firing a gun on Perry Street around 5 p.m. Friday before he entered a home at 722 Perry Street, according to Reuters.
Inside the house, the gunman killed six people: a 22-month-old girl, a 5-year-old boy, a 24-year-old woman who was eight months pregnant, a 44-year-old woman, and two men, ages 19 and 21. He then went outside and killed two women — ages 37 and 51 — whose bodies were found outside the home. After that, he went back inside and killed himself, Erie Police Chief Rick Lorah said, as reported by GoErie. All of the deaths occurred before officers arrived at the scene.
Eight Were Related; One Was a Family Friend
Eight of the nine people who died were related, and the ninth was a family friend, according to Erie police. The victims ranged from a toddler under two years old to adults in their fifties. Authorities urged the public and the media to give the grieving families space as the investigation continues.
Motive Still Under Investigation
Chief Lorah said the motive remains under investigation, with mental health possibly a factor, and investigators are treating the case as a domestic situation. Because every death occurred before officers reached the house, police are relying on witness accounts and physical evidence to reconstruct the full timeline.
Gov. Josh Shapiro called the killings a “tragic mass shooting” and said the state would support Erie as it grieves. The shooting ranks among the deadliest acts of gun violence in Erie’s recent history, and police continue to ask anyone with information about the events leading up to it to come forward.
Featured image: Gannett
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened in Erie, Pennsylvania?
On Friday, October 9, around 5 p.m., witnesses saw a man firing a gun on Perry Street in Erie, Pennsylvania. He entered a home at 722 Perry Street, where nine people ended up dead, including the suspected gunman.
How many people died in the Erie shooting?
Nine people died in total. Police say eight of the dead were related and the ninth was a family friend. The suspected gunman, a 45-year-old man, died of what police believe was a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Where did the shooting take place?
It began on Perry Street in Erie, Pennsylvania, and centered on a home at 722 Perry Street. Two victims were found dead outside the house.
Who were the victims?
The victims included a 22-month-old girl, a 5-year-old boy, a 24-year-old woman who was eight months pregnant, a 44-year-old woman, men ages 19 and 21, and two women ages 37 and 51 found outside the home.
Who was the suspected gunman?
Erie police identified the suspected shooter as a 45-year-old man. He is believed to have killed the others and then taken his own life inside the home.
What was the motive for the Erie shooting?
The motive is still under investigation. Erie Police Chief Rick Lorah said mental health may have been a factor, and investigators are treating the case as a domestic situation.
Did police arrive before the shooting ended?
No. Police said all of the deaths occurred before officers arrived on the scene.
What did Pennsylvania’s governor say about the shooting?
Gov. Josh Shapiro called the killings a ‘tragic mass shooting’ and pledged state support for the Erie community.
