Eight people were shot in a mass killing in Erie, Pennsylvania, on Friday evening, local law enforcement and Gov. Josh Shapiro said. The shooter is also dead, police said.
Authorities have not named any victims or the shooter or described the motive behind the incident, which appeared to take place at a home.
Speaking to reporters near the crime scene overnight, Erie Police Chief Rick Lorah called it “one of the worst situations, if not the worst situation, that I have ever experienced in my 28-plus years as a police officer.”
“I want to be candid with our community,” Lorah said. “This is one of the most difficult and heartbreaking scenes our officers and investigators have ever encountered. The loss of life is devastating, and the circumstances we are working through are deeply disturbing.”
The suspect appeared to have died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, Lorah told reporters.
Investigators determined that all the deaths occurred before law enforcement officers arrived and that the deaths were not the result of a standoff or delay in police action, according to a joint statement from the city of Erie and its police department.
No additional gunshots were fired after police arrived, but flash bangs were deployed, they said.
“I’ve spoken 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,” Shapiro (D) wrote on X. “My heart breaks for this family.”
Erie, which has about 90,000 residents, is some 117 miles north of Pittsburgh.
Erie city officials are scheduled to hold a news conference at 4 p.m. Eastern time to provide more details about the incident.
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