Witnesses reported a man firing a handgun outside an Erie, Pennsylvania, home. The suspect was later found dead.
At least eight people were dead after a mass shooting at a home in Erie, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, and the suspected gunman was found dead, police said.
Police were called to the 700 block of Perry Street on the city’s east side just before 5 p.m Saturday, after witnesses reported seeing a man firing a handgun outside a home, WSEE-TV reported. Two women were found fatally shot outside the residence. A SWAT team and dozens of officers surrounded the home and spent hours trying to persuade the suspect to surrender. After securing a warrant, officers forced their way inside and found more victims.
Police Chief Rick Lorah said the suspect was found dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound and that there is no ongoing threat to the public. He said investigators are working to establish the full circumstances, and he called it the worst scene he has encountered in nearly three decades in law enforcement. Police have not said what motivated the attack or whether the suspect knew the victims.
Nine people were dead, including the suspected gunman, according to a Canadian Press report citing police. Gov. Josh Shapiro said nine Pennsylvanians were killed. Reports differed on whether the total includes the suspect. Local reports citing sources said two of the dead were children, which police have not confirmed. The victims have not been identified.
Shapiro said he spoke with Erie Mayor Daria Devlin and offered his administration’s full support. The city said the shooting had brought “shock and sorrow” to the community.
This report is based on information from WSEE-TV, The Canadian Press, Newsweek, Fox News and KDKA.