Family patriarch kills eight relatives and a friend before taking his own life in Erie

Erie Police Chief Rick Lorah said a 45-year-old man, identified as the family patriarch, carried out a mass shooting at his residence on Friday, resulting in eight deaths. The victims comprised seven members of his own family - among them a 1-year-old daughter, her pregnant mother, the mother's 5-year-old son and an unborn baby - and a friend of the pregnant woman. Investigators retrieved video and audio evidence that captured muffled gunshots just before two distressed women arrived and were shot as they fled.

After the attack, officers used a drone and robot to locate the bodies inside the home, finding the shooter dead on the second floor. Police have withheld the identities of both the shooter and the victims, and have not disclosed a motive, though mental-health issues were suggested as a possible factor.