A man killed eight people including a pregnant woman, children and other relatives at his home in Erie, Pennsylvania, before taking his own life as well, authorities said on Saturday (October 10, 2026).

Erie Police Chief Rick Lorah said the 45-year-old man was related to seven of the victims in the shooting, while the eighth was a friend of the pregnant woman.

Video and audio evidence recovered by investigators included muffled gunshot sounds coming from inside the home just before two “distressed” women arrived and began pounding on the door shortly before 5 p.m. Friday, he said. The gunman then came out and shot them as they ran toward him, before returning inside.

Police arrived to find the two women dead outside. After deploying a drone and robot, they went inside and found the bodies of a 5-year-old boy; a 1-year-old girl on the first floor; two more women and two young men in a stairwell; and the shooter on the second floor.

“Out of respect for the victims and the families, I will not discuss the details of what our officers encountered inside that home,” the chief said at a news conference. “But I want our community to understand the gravity of what happened and the profound impact this tragedy has had on those involved and on our community as a whole.”

Mr. Lorah declined to discuss motive but said investigators would talk to other relatives and examine the cellphones of the women who were killed outside the home.

“They knew something was going on at that house,” he said. “We have to figure out what that is.”

Mr. Lorah said officers arrived within minutes of receiving an alert via ShotSpotter, a controversial gunshot detection system that relies on artificial intelligence and a network of microphones to identify gunshots. No additional shots were fired after that.

“Sounds that may have been mistaken for gunfire came from flashbang devices — chemical munitions — used by SWAT officers,” he said.

Gov. Josh Shapiro said he offered his administration’s “full support” to Erie Mayor Daria Devlin, who spoke directly to the victims’ families during the news conference.

“I am so deeply sorry. What happened to you was horrific, and there is nothing that any of us can say today that will make this any easier,” she said. “But you do need to know that our entire community is with you, we’re grieving with you. And we are here to support you.”

District Attorney Elizabeth Hirz urged the public to refrain from speculation as the investigation continues.

“Please do not allow rumors, speculation or unverified information to add to the pain that these families are already experiencing,” she said.

Erie is about 120 miles (190 kilometers) north of Pittsburgh.

Speaking at a campaign rally outside Philadelphia, Shapiro mentioned both the Erie killings and the shooting of two Philadelphia police officers early Saturday.

“Today has been a dark day across this commonwealth,” he said.

A man shot and killed eight people, including two children, at a home in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania before apparently taking his own life, local media reported.

Police in the city of Erie were called Friday around 5:00 p.m. to reports of shots fired and discovered two women dead in the street, the Erie News Now outlet said.

The shooter barricaded himself inside the home as police surrounded the building and ordered him to exit.

More gunshots were heard during the standoff, Erie News Now reported.

When police eventually entered the building they found several more victims around the home, including the two children. The deceased shooter had an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, the outlet said, citing police.

Erie News Now said that police officers who responded to the scene were being offered counseling over the horrifying incident.

Contacted by AFP, the Erie Police Department declined to comment or confirm the details. The mayor was expected to hold a press conference Saturday (October 10, 2026) afternoon.

Mass shootings occur frequently in the United States, where guns vastly outnumber the population and efforts to increase firearm restrictions face steep political and legal hurdles.