A gunman has killed eight people, including seven members of his family and a family friend, at a home in Erie, Pennsylvania, before taking his own life prior to police intervention. Describing the scene from Friday night as the most gruesome of his career, the police chief expressed profound shock over the incident.
The victims ranged in age from 22 months to 44 years. According to Erie Police, the deceased include two young children and an eight-month-pregnant woman.
Speaking at a news conference on Saturday, Police Chief Rick Lorah said officers dispatched to the scene shortly before 5:00 PM Friday after receiving an alert from ShotSpotter, a gunfire detection technology. Upon arrival, officers recovered the bodies of two women, aged 51 and 37, outside the residence.
According to police, Ring doorbell video footage from a neighbor's house showed the two women visibly distressed, knocking repeatedly on the door as they sought help.
Analyzing the audio from the video, investigators heard muffled gunshots from inside the house. Police believe the suspect subsequently emerged outside, shot the two women, and re-entered the home.
After arriving on scene, officers were unable to confirm any movement or presence inside the house. A SWAT team later breached several doors to gain entry, utilizing a robot to locate multiple bodies within the residence.
Investigators believe all eight victims were killed and the suspect died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound before police arrived. Authorities confirmed that eight of the deceased, including the suspect, were relatives, while one of the two women killed outside was a family friend.
Police have not released the identity of the 45-year-old suspect, whose body was discovered on the second floor. A .40-caliber handgun registered in his name was recovered beside him.
Authorities noted that all victims found inside resided at the home, whereas the two women killed outside lived elsewhere.
The motive behind the mass shooting remains unknown, and an investigation into the cause is currently underway.
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