ERIE, Pennsylvania: Nine people, including children, were killed in a mass shooting at a home in Erie, in the US state of Pennsylvania, authorities said on Saturday. The suspected gunman also died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, leaving a quiet neighbourhood to confront a loss almost too heavy to describe.
Police said the gunman opened fire both outside and inside the home before the violence ended. Officers arrived within minutes after a gunshot-detection alert, but investigators later determined that all nine deaths had occurred before police entered the property. Authorities said there is no ongoing threat to the public.
Erie Police Chief Rick Lorah said the scene was among the most painful his officers had ever faced.
“This is one of the most difficult and heartbreaking scenes our officers and investigators have ever encountered,” he said. “The loss of life is devastating, and the circumstances we are working through are deeply disturbing.”
The identities of the victims and the suspected shooter have not been released. Officials have also not said what may have driven the attack, and investigators are continuing to piece together the events that led to the shootings.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro said he had spoken with Erie Mayor Daria Devlin and offered the state’s full support. He expressed sorrow for the victims, their families and the wider Erie community.
The shooting occurred near the intersection of 7th and Perry Streets, in the eastern part of the city. Erie lies about 188 kilometres north of Pittsburgh, close to Lake Erie.
For a city unaccustomed to such sudden and large-scale violence, the deaths have left residents grieving, searching for answers and struggling to understand how so many lives including those of children could be lost in a single evening.
