A terrible incident happened in Erie, Pennsylvania, on Friday, October 9, 2026, and a mass shooting at a home on Perry Street left nine people dead, including the suspected gunman who took his own life.
The Victims
According to AP News, seven of the victims were relatives and one was a family friend.
The victims included a five-year-old boy, a one-year-old girl, and an eight-month-pregnant woman. Police Chief Rick Lorah confirmed the relationships of the 45-year-old shooter to those who died.
Because the one victim was pregnant, some true crime followers felt the body count should have included the unborn child.
What Happened
Fox News reports that police patrol units responded to a ShotSpotter alert in the 700 block of Perry Street shortly before 5 p.m. Officers arrived within minutes. They found two deceased women outside the house.
Reports also said that “Investigators reviewing Ring doorbell footage from a neighboring home determined that the two women appeared distressed as they sought help from neighbors and pounded on a door.”
They tried to flee before the gunman emerged and shot them. Investigators found that the rest of the victims inside were already dead before police arrived.
The Weapon Was Identified
Meanwhile, NBC News reported that the suspect was regsitered as the owner of the .40-caliber handgun used in the incident. Investigators are also looking into whether mental health played a part, but they haven’t yet established a motive.
As the attending officers didn’t know what was inside the home, and how many weapons might be involved, they didn’t rush inside immediately.
Instead, “SWAT officers breached several doors and deployed a robot, which found multiple victims, and officers went in.”
Viewers React
When LiveNow from FOX covered the news on YouTube, reporters noted that “Erie Police Chief Rick Lorah said there is no ongoing threat to the public, while Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro pledged the state’s full support to Erie Mayor Daria Devlin as the investigation continues.”
Many viewers expressed their grief and anger.
One person commented, “Young kids & a pregnant woman of 8 months. This is horrible.”
Here are a few more responses from the discussion:
- “Always a sad situation, if you want to go, just take yourself out, no one else.”
- “Man, those officers and first responders can never unsee what they saw. It’s a difficult job that many couldn’t perform.”
- “A society soft on crime is a society in chaos.”
- “If you’re sick you must go treat yourself, don’t make other people pay for your misery. May these victims rest in peace.. Hideous.”
- “If one woman was pregnant, then 10 people died. Not 9. 9 victims plus 1 shooter.”
What are your thoughts? Join the discussion and then come back for more true crime news. We also have a crime channel on TikTok that you can follow for short updates.