Nine people, including the suspected gunman, were killed on Friday in a shooting in Erie, Pennsylvania, according to Governor Josh Shapiro. Local media reported that two children were also among the dead, at a home in the city, which lies 188 kilometres (117 miles) north of Pittsburgh.
Standoff at a home and discovery of victims
Police were called to reports of gunfire around 5:00pm local time (21:00 GMT) on Friday and found two women dead in the street. The attacker then barricaded himself inside the house while officers surrounded the building and ordered him out.
Gunshots were heard again during the standoff, local media said. When officers finally entered, they found several more victims, including the two children. Citing police, the outlet said the attacker, now dead, had an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Police chief describes shock and officials offer support
Officers who responded to the scene are being offered counselling, local media said. Erie Police Chief Rick Lorah told a local station on Saturday that in more than 28 years of service he had never seen anything similar, and he questioned whether the city had ever faced such loss of life. He declined to give further details, calling the circumstances “deeply disturbing.”
Shapiro said on Saturday that his administration was giving its full support to Erie Mayor Daria Devlin. Mass shootings are frequent in the United States, a country where firearms vastly outnumber people, and efforts to tighten gun laws face considerable political and legal obstacles.
