9 Killed in Erie Pennsylvania Shooting, Police Say
An October 2026 mass shooting in Erie, Pennsylvania, leaves eight people dead, including two children and a pregnant woman, before the gunman dies of a self-inflicted wound, according to Erie Police Chief Rick Lorah. Some scenes stay with you long after you leave them. This is one of those tragic scenes,
Lorah said at a Saturday press conference where authorities revealed details of the previous evening’s shooting, adding that the deaths took place before officers arrived and that there were no additional shots fired between the time officers arrived and the time they entered the home.
Erie Police Respond to Perry Street Crime Scene
Officers with the Erie Police Department responded to a home located at 7th and Perry Streets around 4:50 p.m. on Friday, October 9, 2026, after receiving a ShotSpotter alert indicating shots fired. Authorities arrived to find an eerie silence and did not hear cries for help or see movement, leading officers to secure a warrant before a SWAT team entered the residence.
Chief Rick Lorah stated that the shooter, identified as a 45-year-old man related to the victims inside the house, died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound on the second floor before police made entry. Investigators recovered a .40 caliber handgun registered to the suspect at the scene. We did not see movement inside.
Family Members and Children Among the Nine Dead
The violence claimed the lives of seven family members, one family friend, and the shooter, bringing the total death toll to nine. According to details shared during a police press conference, the victims ranged in age from 1 year old to 51 years old.
Doorbell cameras captured two victims—described as a sister-in-law and a family friend to the family who lived inside the home—pounding on the door seeking help before the gunman emerged and shot them outside, according to Chief Lorah. Describing the event, Lorah stated, We believe that the shooter comes out and calls towards the two females. They run towards, and then he then he shoots them.
Inside the home, officers discovered a 5-year-old boy and a 1-year-old girl dead on the first floor. Four additional victims, including a 24-year-old woman who was eight months pregnant, a 44-year-old woman, a 19-year-old man, and a 21-year-old man, were found dead on a second-floor stairwell. Describing the interior, Chief Lorah said, It was horrific. It was the worst scene I have ever experienced.
Mayor Devlin Praises Police for Their Professionalism
Erie Mayor Daria Devlin praised the local police department for carrying out their duties with courage and professionalism under unimaginable circumstances, noting that officers worked through the night to notify grieving family members who were not at the home. Mayor Devlin also stated of the officers, arrived at a horrific scene, faced unimaginable circumstances, and carried out their duties with courage and professionalism,
and added, They too are members of this community, and they too will carry the weight of what happened last night.
Authorities have not yet established a motive for the shooting, and the investigation remains ongoing.