Nine people were killed in a shooting in Erie, Pennsylvania, on Friday, according to Governor Josh Shapiro. Police reported that the suspected shooter was among the deceased. Local media indicated that two children were also among those killed at a residence in Erie, located 188 kilometers (117 miles) north of Pittsburgh.
Police in Erie received reports of shots fired around 5:00 PM local time (21:00 GMT) and discovered two women deceased in the street, as reported by the Erie News Now outlet. The shooter barricaded himself inside the home as police surrounded the area and instructed him to exit.
During the standoff, additional gunshots were reported. When police entered the building, they found several more victims, including the two children. The deceased shooter was found with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to police sources cited by Erie News Now.
The responding police officers are receiving counseling due to the traumatic nature of the incident. Erie Police Chief Rick Lorah stated, “I have not seen anything like this in my 28-plus years. I’m not sure that the city of Erie has ever seen the loss of life and the devastation that we just witnessed.” He declined to provide further details but described the circumstances of the shooting as “deeply disturbing.”
Governor Shapiro stated on Saturday that he offered his administration’s “full support” to Erie Mayor Daria Devlin. Mass shootings are a recurring issue in the United States, where firearms significantly outnumber the population, and efforts to implement stricter gun control face considerable political and legal challenges.