October 10, 2026Updated October 11, 2026, 1:40 p.m. ET
Nine people, including children and the suspected shooter, are dead after a mass shooting at a residence in Erie, Pennsylvania, on Friday, October 9, authorities said.
Erie police received reports of shots fired and people shot at 4:52 p.m. Friday and went to the 700 block of Perry Street, where officers found two women fatally wounded outside a home, Police Chief Rick Lorah said. Other victims, as well as the suspected shooter, were found inside the residence.
The suspected shooter was found with a gun and appeared to have died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, police said. A neighbor had reported seeing a person matching the suspect’s description shoot the two women outside, Lorah said.
Authorities released additional details about the victims’ ages and relationships during an October 10 news conference. Police said eight of the nine people who died were related to each other, including the suspected shooter. The latest victim was a family friend. One of the victims was eight months pregnant.
Here’s what we know about the Erie shooting.
What happened during the shooting?
Police went to the residence after receiving an alert from the city’s ShotSpotter gunshot detection system, according to city officials. Officers arrived within minutes of the report of shots fired, Lorah said.
After finding the two fatally injured women outside, officers surrounded the home before members of the Erie Police Bureau SWAT team entered and left the residence. Investigators determined that all of the deaths occurred before officers arrived, according to an Oct. 10 city news release.
Officials said no shots were fired in the area between officers’ arrival and the SWAT team’s evacuation of the home. The noises that could have been mistaken for gunshots during the response were flash bangs used by law enforcement, the city said.
The city also stressed that these deaths were not the result of a prolonged standoff or delay in police action. Officers initially had limited information about whether the suspected shooter remained inside or posed an ongoing threat, according to the release.
During the news conference, Lorah said officers arrived about three minutes after the ShotSpotter alert. He said officers did not hear any gunshots or cries for help and saw no movement inside the home. The doors were locked and the windows were covered, he said.
Lorah said officers were prepared to immediately enter the residence if they heard gunshots or cries for help, or saw anyone trying to escape or asking for help. He said obtaining a search warrant was not a factor in deciding whether to enter the home.
Who were the victims?
Nine people, including the suspected shooter, were killed. Authorities had not released the names of the victims as of the afternoon of October 10, nor the identity of the shooter.
Erie County Coroner Lyell Cook said his office is beginning to confirm the identities of the deceased. Eight people were pronounced dead at the scene, while another was taken to the hospital and later pronounced dead, Cook said.
The coroner’s office had not commented on the deaths as of the afternoon of October 10. Authorities had not announced whether autopsies would be performed.
Lorah identified the two women found outside the home only as a 51-year-old woman and a 37-year-old woman. Inside, officers found a 5-year-old boy and a 1-year-old girl who were on the first floor.
Four other victims were found in a second-floor stairwell: a 24-year-old woman, a 44-year-old woman, a 19-year-old man and a 21-year-old man.
The suspected shooter was a 45-year-old man, Lorah said. He was found dead on the second floor with a gun that police said was registered to him.
Lorah said the victims found inside the home lived there, unlike the two women found outside. He said one of the women outside was a family friend and the other was the sister-in-law of one of the victims.
What was the motive?
Lorah described the scene as the most horrific he has encountered in his law enforcement career. The city urged residents to avoid sharing unverified information or speculation, saying it could worsen the pain of grieving families and create unnecessary fear.
At the news conference, Lorah said it was too early to determine a motive. He said investigators are examining cellphones, reviewing evidence and speaking with family members and witnesses to learn more about what happened.
Lorah said he believes mental health could be a factor, but stressed that investigators have not established a motive. He also said police have a history of contact with the suspected shooter, although the last interaction he remembers was in 2022.
How did Pennsylvania respond?
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said he spoke with Erie Mayor Daria Devlin and offered state support after the shooting.
“I spoke with Mayor Devlin and offered my administration’s full support following the tragic mass shooting in Erie last night, killing nine of our fellow Pennsylvanians. My heart breaks for this family. Lori and I pray for their loved ones and for the entire Erie community,” Shapiro said.
Devlin said during the news conference that the city is working with crisis services, behavioral health providers, schools and other community partners to connect affected families and residents with support. She urged people to respect the privacy of grieving families and share accurate information.
UPMC Crisis Services is available 24 hours a day at 814-456-2014, Devlin said. Allegheny Health Network Behavioral Health can be reached at 814-866-8484.
Reporter Anthony Thompson can be reached at ajthompson@usatodayco.com or on X @athompsonUSAT.
This story has been updated to add a shooting map.
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