Eight people were killed in a shooting at an Erie, Pennsylvania, home Friday evening, Erie Police Chief Rick Lorah said Saturday. The suspected gunman, a 45-year-old man, also died at the scene. Investigators believe he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Local media reports identified one of the victims as Angelina Stone, who was eight months pregnant, and said her two young children were also among those killed. CBS Pittsburgh reported Stone was four days from her due date; Erie News Now cited a family friend who said the birth was expected within days. A fundraiser organized to help pay funeral expenses named the children as Isiah and Amari’anna and identified the unborn baby as Kyrie.
Police said the suspected gunman was related to seven of the victims. The eighth victim was a family friend, according to Lorah. A relative told The Associated Press that the gunman was the family patriarch and a grandfather.
Lorah said investigators believe all eight victims and the suspected gunman died before officers arrived. He said mental health could have played a role but cautioned that it was too early to determine a motive. The Erie Police Department is investigating.
The fundraiser’s organizer appealed for help with funeral costs for Stone and her children. The descriptions of the victims and the reported timing of Stone’s pregnancy were attributed to local news outlets and the fundraiser.
