|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
ERIE, Pa.(BFMG) — Nine people, including two children and the suspected gunman, are dead following a mass shooting Friday evening in Erie, Pennsylvania, that escalated into a standoff between police and an armed suspect barricaded inside a home.
The shooting unfolded on October 9, 2026, in the 700 block of Perry Street, where officers responded around 5 p.m. after receiving multiple 911 calls reporting gunfire.
According to local reports, witnesses described seeing a man firing a handgun outside a residence before retreating inside the home.
When officers arrived, they discovered two women who had been fatally shot in the street.
As police secured the surrounding area, the situation developed into a standoff. Members of the Erie Police Department (EPD) and its SWAT team surrounded the residence at 722 Perry Street and repeatedly attempted to communicate with the suspect, using loudspeakers to order him to surrender.
Additional gunshots were reportedly heard coming from inside the home during the standoff.
When officers eventually entered the residence, they discovered multiple additional victims in different areas of the house, including children.
Authorities also located the suspected gunman inside the residence. Police said he appeared to have died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Local television station Erie News Now reported that nine people were killed, including two children and the suspected shooter.
Erie Police Chief Rick Lorah described the incident as one of the most devastating crime scenes his department has encountered.
“The loss of life is devastating, and the circumstances we are working through are deeply disturbing,” Lorah said.
Lorah confirmed that the suspected gunman was deceased and assured residents that investigators believed there was no continuing threat to the public.
Erie Mayor Daria Devlin also addressed the tragedy Friday evening, expressing condolences to the families and community members affected by the shooting.
“Our thoughts are with the victims, their loved ones, and everyone impacted by tonight’s tragedy,” Devlin said.
While multiple news organizations have reported nine fatalities, authorities initially declined to confirm the total number of victims as investigators worked to process the scene.
Police have not publicly identified those killed or disclosed their ages, other than reports confirming that children were among the victims.
Investigators have also not established a motive or publicly explained whether the suspected shooter had any relationship to those killed.
The Erie County Coroner’s Office (ECCO) joined police at the residence Friday night as investigators worked to document evidence and determine the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
Officials said officers who responded to the shooting were being offered counseling services because of the traumatic nature of the scene.
The shooting has left the Erie community grappling with the deaths of multiple residents as authorities continue working to establish a timeline of events and determine what led to the violence.
The investigation remains ongoing, and additional information is expected as authorities identify the victims and release further findings.
This is a developing story.
