Nine people, including children, killed in Pennsylvania shooting that left bodies in the street

Published: 06:21 EDT, 10 October 2026 | Updated: 06:23 EDT, 10 October 2026

Nine people, including a pregnant woman and two children, have been shot to death in a rampage in Pennsylvania before a tense police standoff ended with the suspected gunman killing himself inside a home.

The bloodshed erupted in Erie on Friday evening, Erie News Now reported. Terrified residents called 911 after hearing gunfire and witnessing a man opening fire with a handgun outside a house.

Two women were discovered dead in the road as heavily armed officers descended on the neighborhood, surrounding a home where the suspected killer had barricaded himself, the outlet reported.

Shooting rampage: Heavily armed Erie SWAT officers surrounded the home on Perry Street during a tense standoff with a suspected gunman

By the time police entered the property in Erie, a city in northwest Pennsylvania, on Lake Erie, they encountered a horrendous scene, discovering additional victims throughout the house, including children.

Sources told local television station Erie News Now that nine people had died in the massacre, among them the suspected gunman, who was found with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Police have not officially confirmed the death toll, identified the victims or established what drove the horrifying murder-suicide.

The nightmare began shortly after 5pm on Friday evening, when emergency dispatchers received frantic reports of shots being fired in the 700 block of Perry Street.

When officers arrived to find two women lying dead in the street, it triggered a massive police operation as authorities scrambled to determine whether the shooter remained an immediate threat.

Multiple dead: A shooting rampage in Pennsylvania left bodies lying in the street

Shocking event: Erie Police Chief Rick Lorah said it was among the worst scene he had ever encountered in 28 years of policing

Erie Police Department officers and members of its SWAT team surrounded the house as the unfolding emergency escalated into a standoff.

Using a loudspeaker, police repeatedly ordered the person inside to surrender.

But their commands went unanswered, and further gunfire was heard during the confrontation, raising fears that more people could be in danger.

Officers eventually made their way into the residence, where they discovered additional bodies in different parts of the home.

Among the dead were children, according to sources who spoke to Erie News Now.

The suspected gunman was also found inside, apparently having turned his weapon on himself.

The discovery brought an end to the immediate danger but left investigators confronting the aftermath of one of the most disturbing incidents encountered by the city’s police force.

Erie Police Chief Rick Lorah acknowledged the emotional toll of the tragedy, describing the scene as among the most difficult his officers had ever faced.

Serious situation: A heavily armed Erie police officer takes position behind a protective shield as a deadly shooting on Perry Street left nine people dead, including two children and the gunman

Negotiating surrender: Police vehicles lined Perry Street in Erie, Pennsylvania, after officers responded to reports of gunfire and discovered two women dead in the road

Lorah added: ‘The loss of life is devastating, and the circumstances we are working through are deeply disturbing.’

His comments came as detectives and forensic investigators began the painstaking task of piecing together what happened inside and outside the Perry Street property.

Authorities have yet to explain whether the victims were related, whether the gunman knew those he allegedly killed or what might have triggered the violence.

Crime scene: Police can be seen on duty outside the home on Friday night following the deadly shootings

The identities and ages of the dead have also been withheld while the investigation continues.

Police also confirmed that counseling was being made available to officers who had witnessed the aftermath of the violence.

The scale of the bloodshed also prompted an immediate response from City Hall.

Mayor Daria Devlin also issued a statement on Friday night, calling what happened a ‘terrible tragedy’ and assured residents that the situation had been contained.

‘Our thoughts are with the victims, their loved ones, and everyone impacted by tonight’s tragedy,’ Devlin said.

Police will be providing an update later on Saturday.