Erie mass shooting kills 8: gunman was family patriarch, toddler's father says

A man whose 1-year-old daughter was among eight people killed in Erie, PA, says the gunman was a grandfather who never seemed distressed. The shooter, 45, took his own life after killing seven relatives and a family friend.

Erie grandfather opened fire on family, killing 8 including pregnant woman and toddlers

A 1-year-old girl was among eight people shot dead in a mass killing in Erie, Pennsylvania, on Friday, ABC News US reports. Her father, Julius Windham, said Sunday that the gunman — a 45-year-old grandfather — had shown no signs of distress in the days before the attack.

"I think that was a front for him," Windham said, speaking at a memorial outside the house where the shooting took place. "Him every day, him smiling and being just — you would think nothing like that would happen."

Windham wore a T-shirt bearing photos of the women and children, with the words "Forever In My Heart." Among those killed were his daughter Amarianna, aged one; her pregnant mother; the woman's 5-year-old son; and her unborn baby.

Erie Police Chief Rick Lorah said the gunman was related to seven of the eight victims. The eighth was a friend of the pregnant woman. Authorities have not publicly released the names of the shooter or the victims.

Two women fled the house before being shot

Video and audio evidence recovered by investigators captured muffled gunshot sounds from inside the home shortly before 5 p.m. Friday, Lorah said. Two "distressed" women then arrived at the door and began pounding on it. The gunman came out and shot them as they ran toward him, before going back inside.

Responding officers found both women dead outside. Using a drone and a robot before entering, they then discovered the bodies of the 5-year-old boy and 1-year-old girl on the first floor; two women and two young men in a stairwell; and the shooter himself on the second floor. He had taken his own life.

"Out of respect for the victims and the families, I will not discuss the details of what our officers encountered inside that home," Lorah said at a news conference. "But I want our community to understand the gravity of what happened and the profound impact this tragedy has had on those involved and on our community as a whole."

Chief points to possible mental health factor

Lorah declined to discuss a motive but said mental health could be a factor. He said investigators plan to speak with relatives and examine the cellphones of the two women killed outside — noting they appeared to have known something was wrong at the house before they arrived.

"They knew something was going on at that house," Lorah said. "We have to figure out what that is."

Long-time acquaintances of the family described the shooter's apparent decline. Nicole Eller, whose best friend was among the victims, said the man "was a good guy, and then he started going downhill with everything." She and her sister Debra said they had known the family for more than 30 years.

"They were a lovely family. Who would have thought this would ever happen?" Debra Eller said. "His grandchildren, his kids — how can you do that?"

Mayor: 'What happened to you was horrific'

At a news conference Saturday, Erie Mayor Daria Devlin addressed the victims' families directly.

"I am so deeply sorry," Devlin said. "What happened to you was horrific, and there is nothing that any of us can say today that will make this any easier. Our entire community is with you, we're grieving with you. And we are here to support you."

Windham, still processing the loss of his daughter and the mother of his child, said he was trying to stay strong.

"Words can't even explain what I'm going through right now," he said. "But I gotta be strong for my community, my family, my daughters, my sons, everybody."

Erie is located approximately 120 miles north of Pittsburgh. The shooting drew comparisons to a 1982 massacre in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, in which a man killed 13 people, including five of his own children.

Source: ABC News US