Nine people, including children and the suspected shooter, are dead in a mass shooting at a residence in Erie, Pennsylvania, on Friday, Oct. 9, authorities said.
Erie police received reports of gunfire
and people shot at 4:52 p.m. Friday and responded to the 700 block of Perry Street, where officers found two women fatally wounded outside a home, Police Chief Rick Lorah said. Additional victims, and the suspected gunman, were found inside the residence.
The suspected shooter was found with a gun and appeared to have died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to police. A neighbor had reported seeing a person matching the suspect's description shooting at the two women outside, Lorah said.
Authorities had not publicly identified the victims or announced a possible motive as of Oct. 10. Investigators continued to process the scene and interview witnesses as officials prepared to release additional information at a news conference.
Here's what we know about the Erie mass shooting.
What happened in the shooting?
Police responded 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 shots fired report, Lorah said.
After finding the two fatally wounded women outside, officers surrounded the home before members of the Erie Bureau of Police SWAT Team entered and cleared the residence. Investigators determined that all the deaths occurred before officers arrived, according to an Oct. 10 city news release.
Officials said no gunshots were fired in the area between officers' arrival and the SWAT team's clearance of the home. Sounds that may have been mistaken for gunfire during the response were flash bangs used by law enforcement, the city said.
The city also emphasized that the deaths did not result from a prolonged standoff or a 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.
Who were the victims?
Nine people, including the suspected shooter, were killed. Authorities had not publicly released the victims' names or ages as of the afternoon of Oct. 10, nor the gunman's identity.
Erie County Coroner Lyell Cook said his office was beginning to confirm the identities of the deceased. Eight people were pronounced dead at the scene, while another was taken to a hospital and was later pronounced dead, Cook said.
The coroner's office had not ruled on the deaths as of the afternoon of Oct. 10. Officials had not announced whether autopsies would be performed.
What was the motive?
Authorities had not announced a motive or publicly detailed any connection between the shooter and the victims as of Oct. 10.
Lorah described the scene as the most horrific he had encountered during his law enforcement career. The city urged residents to avoid sharing unverified information or speculation, saying it could deepen the pain of grieving families and create unnecessary fear.
When will officials release more information?
The city scheduled a news conference for 4 p.m. Oct. 10 at Erie City Hall. Officials said they planned to provide additional information about the shooting.
The news conference was scheduled to stream on the city's Facebook page and YouTube channel.
Reporter Anthony Thompson can be reached at ajthompson@usatodayco.com, or on X @athompsonUSAT.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Pennsylvania mass shooting: What we know about 9 people killed
