Pennsylvania Gunman Killed 8 Relatives, Including Pregnant Woman and Children, Before Dying by Suicide

A Pennsylvania man killed eight relatives, including a pregnant woman and two young children, before dying of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound in Erie. Investigators are continuing to piece together the events that led to the Friday evening massacre.

Relatives of the victims stated that the 45-year-old gunman, who was related to seven of the eight people killed, appeared normal and never seemed distressed before the killings. "Him every day, him smiling and being just — you would think of nothing like that would happen," Julius Windham, whose 1-year-old daughter Amarianna was among those killed, told Fox News. "I think that was a front for him."

Nicole and Debra Eller, friends of one of the victims who had known the family for over 30 years, echoed this sentiment. "They were a lovely family. Who would have thought this would ever happen?" Debra Eller said. Nicole Eller added that the shooter "was a good guy, and then he started going downhill with everything."

Erie Police Chief Rick Lorah said that investigators recovered video and audio evidence from inside the residence, including muffled gunshots shortly before two women, who appeared distressed, arrived and began pounding on the door. The gunman then emerged and fired at the women before returning inside.

Responding officers arrived within minutes after a gunshot-detection system alerted them. Lorah confirmed that no additional shots were fired after police arrived, and sounds heard later were from flashbang devices and chemical munitions used by SWAT officers during the operation.

Officers discovered the two women dead outside the home. After deploying a drone and robot, police entered the residence and found the bodies of the 5-year-old boy and 1-year-old girl on the first floor. Two more women and two young men were found in a stairwell, and the shooter was located on the second floor.

Lorah declined to discuss a motive, but he suggested that mental health could be a factor. Investigators plan to interview relatives and examine the cellphones of the women killed outside the home. "They knew something was going on at that house," Lorah said. "We have to figure out what that is."

Mourners gathered outside the home on Sunday, leaving flowers and stuffed animals. Erie Mayor Daria Devlin offered condolences to the victims' families, stating, "What happened to you was horrific, and there is nothing that any of us can say today that will make this any easier."

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro also expressed his support, calling the incident a "tragic mass shooting." District Attorney Elizabeth Hirz urged the public to avoid spreading unverified information as the investigation proceeds.