A horror scene unfolded Friday afternoon in Erie, Pennsylvania, in the northeastern United States. Several people were shot inside and around a home. The suspected shooter is among the dead, local police confirmed.
According to the “New York Post” and “The Sun”, the death toll reached nine, including a pregnant woman and two children. However, this figure had not yet been officially confirmed Friday evening, reports the local daily “Erie Times-News”.
Two women shot dead in front of house
Police were alerted at 4:52 p.m. for shots fired into a home on Perry Street. When they arrived, they found two women lying outside the house with fatal injuries to their heads and faces.
A neighbor reported seeing a man shoot the two victims. His description matched that of an individual found dead inside the building, with a weapon at his side.
According to initial findings, the suspect shot himself. Other bodies were discovered in the house during the intervention of special forces.
Contrary to initial reports of an exchange of fire, Erie Police Chief Rick Lorah clarified that no shots had been fired between the arrival of the first police officers and the intervention of the special SWAT unit.
“The worst scene I have ever seen”
Visibly upset, Rick Lorah described a scene of exceptional violence. “It was horrible, definitely the worst thing I have ever seen,” he said, recalling one of the most harrowing interventions of his long career.
Investigators are now seeking to establish the circumstances of the tragedy and possible links between the victims and the shooter. Police are refusing, at this stage, to speculate on the suspect’s motives.
A large police presence remained deployed in the neighborhood on Friday evening, while investigators and forensic services continued their investigations. In a statement released shortly after 10 p.m., the municipality of Erie assured that the situation was under control and that the suspected shooter was dead. “There is no longer any threat to the population,” said the authorities, sending their condolences to the bereaved families.
