Erie gunman killed eight including pregnant woman and two children after barricading himself inside home in SWAT standoff as police say rampage is ‘most heartbreaking scene they’ve ever encountered’
A pregnant woman and two children were among the eight people killed by a Pennsylvania gunman, as police deemed the shooter’s rampage as one of the most difficult and heartbreaking scenes they had ever encountered.
The killings happened in Erie, about 120 miles north of Pittsburgh, on Friday evening in the 700 block of Perry Street.
Frightened residents called 911 after hearing shots and seeing a man opening fire with a handgun outside a home. When police arrived, they found two women lying dead in the street, according to ErieNewsNow.
One of the women was pregnant, according to reports.
The suspected shooter barricaded himself inside a home before a police standoff ended with him dead, apparently after taking his own life with a gunshot.
Erie Police Chief Rick Lorah called the deaths ‘devastating’ and said the incident was ‘deeply disturbing.’
‘This is one of the most difficult and heartbreaking scenes our officers and investigators have ever encountered,’ Lorah said last night, per WABC–TV.
All of the deaths happened before officers arrived, the City of Erie said on Saturday.
Eight people, including two women and not including the gunman, were killed in a shooting that happened in Erie, Pennsylvania, on Friday night
Erie Police Chief Rick Lorah said the shooting was among the worst scenes he has ever seen in law enforcement
Erie police will provide updates on the killings at 4pm on Saturday during a press conference, it has been announced
Erie Police Department officers and members of its SWAT team had surrounded the house after the shootings.
Police repeatedly ordered the person inside to surrender but seemingly did not receive a response.
More gunfire was also seemingly heard during the confrontation, initially stoking fears that others could be in danger.
However, Erie authorities later clarified that the loud sounds were actually their flash bangs. Police burst in after obtaining a search warrant.
Lorah said he had ‘not seen anything like this in my 28–plus years’ working in law enforcement.
‘I’m not sure that the city of Erie has ever seen the loss of life and the devastation that we just witnessed,’ Lorah added.
Mayor Daria Devlin called the deaths a ‘terrible tragedy’ and told residents that the situation had been contained.
‘Our thoughts are with the victims, their loved ones, and everyone impacted by tonight’s tragedy,’ Devlin said.
As of early Saturday afternoon, authorities were yet to identify the victims or any details about them
Stunned neighbors could be seen gathered at a police cordon after the killings on Saturday in Erie
Heavily armed Erie SWAT officers surrounded the home on Perry Street during a tense standoff with a suspected gunman, who was later found dead inside from a self-inflicted gunshot
Authorities have not yet revealed the victims’ identities and ages.
It is also not known if they were related, if the gunman knew the people killed or what happened before the fatal shooting.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said Saturday that he was offering his full support to Erie after the mass shooting, which he called tragic.
‘My heart breaks for this family,’ Shapiro wrote on X. Details about the victims have not been publicly shared.
Erie authorities are expected to give an update this afternoon when they hold a press conference at 4pm local time to address the shooting and the timeline of events.
