Eight people were killed at a house in Erie, in the US state of Pennsylvania, Deutsche Welle reports, citing local police. The gunman also died, bringing the total death toll to nine. Two young children and a pregnant woman were among the victims.
The shooting took place overnight from Friday into Saturday. Officers arrived at the scene early on Saturday morning. Erie police chief Rick Lorah, quoted by DW, said seven of those killed were related to the gunman, while the eighth was a family friend.
According to police, the gunman died before officers arrived from what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound. That remains a preliminary finding, rather than a final conclusion of the investigation. At the time of DW’s report, the investigation was ongoing; authorities had not released the gunman’s identity, and the motive for the attack remained unknown.
Erie mayor Daria Devlin expressed sympathy for the victims’ families and assured them of the community’s support. Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro said he had spoken to the mayor and offered assistance from his administration.
