A mass shooting in Erie, Pennsylvania, has left a family devastated after a 45-year-old gunman allegedly killed eight people, including a pregnant woman, two young children and other relatives, before taking his own life.
The father of one of the youngest victims said the gunman had appeared to be an ordinary, cheerful family patriarch, making the tragedy difficult to comprehend.
Julius Windham, whose 1-year-old daughter Amarianna was among those killed, spoke to reporters on Sunday (Oct 11) as mourners gathered outside the home where the shooting occurred.
“He was smiling every day,” Windham said, describing how the gunman had never appeared particularly distressed or given obvious indications of what was to come.
“I think that was a front for him,” he added.
Toddler, pregnant mother and young boy among victims
The shooting took place shortly before 5pm on Friday (Oct 9) at a home on Perry Street in Erie, a city in northwestern Pennsylvania.
Police said eight people were killed by the gunman, who subsequently died by suicide. Authorities said seven of the victims were related to him, while the eighth was a friend of the pregnant woman.
Among the victims were Windham’s daughter, Amarianna; her pregnant mother; and the woman’s 5-year-old son. The unborn baby also died in the tragedy.
The identities of the victims and the gunman had not been publicly released by authorities in the reports available on Sunday.
Windham, standing near a memorial decorated with flowers, candles and stuffed animals, expressed the immense pain of losing his daughter and other loved ones.
“Words can’t even explain what I’m going through right now,” he said, adding that he had to remain strong for his family and community.
Two women were killed outside the home
Investigators said video and audio evidence captured gunshots coming from inside the residence shortly before two women arrived and began knocking urgently on the door.
The women appeared distressed, according to police accounts. The gunman then went outside and shot them before returning into the house.
Responding officers found the two women dead outside. After deploying a drone and a robot to assess the situation, police entered the home and discovered the other victims and the gunman.
Erie Police Chief Rick Lorah said investigators were working to establish what had happened before the shooting.
He declined to discuss a possible motive but said authorities would speak to relatives and examine the cellphones of the women who had arrived at the house.
Lorah also suggested that mental health could be a factor, although investigators had not established a definitive explanation for the attack.
Community struggles to understand the tragedy
The killings have shaken Erie, a city about 190km north of Pittsburgh, with residents gathering to mourn the victims and support the surviving family members.
People who knew the family expressed disbelief that such violence could have occurred. Some described the gunman as previously being a good person, while suggesting that something may have changed in his life.
Erie Mayor Daria Devlin offered condolences to the victims’ relatives, acknowledging that the community could not undo what had happened but could offer support to those grieving.
The tragedy has also drawn comparisons with a 1982 mass killing in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, in which a gunman killed 13 people, including five of his children.
For Windham and the other grieving relatives, however, the immediate reality is the loss of their loved ones, including children whose lives had barely begun.
As investigators continue examining the circumstances surrounding the Erie shooting, the motive remains unknown. Authorities have urged the public to avoid spreading unverified claims while the investigation proceeds.
