Nine killed including children in mass shooting at Erie, Pennsylvania home

A gunman opened fire in Erie, Pennsylvania, killing nine people including children before dying of an apparent self-inflicted wound. Police say there is no ongoing threat to the public.

Nine dead, including children, after gunman opens fire in Erie home

Nine people — including children and the gunman himself — were killed in a mass shooting on Perry Street in Erie, Pennsylvania, on Friday, 9 October, officials confirmed, as reported by nbcphiladelphia.com.

Police received calls from witnesses shortly before 5 p.m. after a man was seen firing shots outside a residential property before entering the building. When officers arrived, they found two women shot dead in the street.

The situation quickly escalated into a standoff, with Erie Police and SWAT teams surrounding the home. Further gunshots were then heard from inside the building. Upon entry, officers discovered seven additional bodies — including those of children — as well as the gunman, who died from what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to investigators.

Erie Police Chief Rick Lorah described the scene as one of the most distressing he had ever witnessed.

"The loss of life is devastating and the circumstances we are working through are deeply disturbing," Chief Lorah said. "At this time, we can confirm that the suspect is deceased. Based on the information currently available to us, there is no ongoing threat to the public."

Lorah added that investigators would not be drawn on a potential motive at this stage. "We will not speculate about a motive, or at least information that could compromise this investigation," he said. "It's just a devastating loss of life. It's a terrible, terrible scene at this point, and we just need time to piece together what happened here."

Authorities are continuing to work to establish what triggered the attack. No further suspects have been identified.

Source: Google News MT — Crime (en)