According to U.S. media reports on the 10th, a large-scale shooting occurred in Erie, Pennsylvania, on the 9th, local time. U.S. official sources said that on the night of the 9th, a man killed seven people and a family friend in an apartment in Erie, Pennsylvania, and then allegedly shot himself. Erie police said the victims included two children and a pregnant woman. The case is still under investigation.
“Terrifying Scene”
“This is the most tragic scene I have ever seen in my life, the scene is horrifying,” Rick Lolla, the chief of police in Erie, revealed the details of the shooting at a press conference held on the 10th. Lolla said that on the day of the incident, the gun detection system detected two gunshots, and police immediately called in. After arriving at the scene, officers found the bodies of two women, aged 51 and 37, outside a residential building. Lolla said that a neighbor‘s smart doorbell video captured the two women “looking panicked, asking for help from the surrounding neighbors, constantly knocking on the door.” The video audio that investigators examined “seems to have recorded muffled gunshots coming from inside the house, then the suspect came out of the house and shot and killed the two women.” Lolla said that after that, the suspect returned to the house, and witnesses said they never heard any more gunshots after that.
According to the National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC), when police officers arrived, there was no movement in the house. Police were unable to contact the people inside, unable to determine whether there were still people in the house or whether there was a security threat. In the end, special forces officers broke down multiple doors and deployed reconnaissance robots. The robots discovered multiple victims, and police officers then entered the building. Upon inspection, all the victims had already been killed, and the suspect had already shot himself before police arrived.
“This is an entire family”
NBC said that according to Lolla, eight of the nine victims (including the suspects) were relatives, and one of the two women killed outside the house was a friend of the family. He added that one of the women killed inside the house was pregnant at eight months. The victims also included two young children – a 5-year-old boy and a 22-month-old baby girl. “It‘s an entire family,” Lolla said. The identity of the 45-year-old gunman involved in the shooting has not been released to the public yet, and a .40 caliber pistol registered in his name was found on him. The trigger for the shooting incident is still under investigation. Lolla said “it‘s too early to talk about the motive for the crime,” but he believes “mental health issues are related to this matter.”
According to the gun violence archives website, more than 400 large-scale shootings occurred in the United States in 2026, defined as large-scale shootings in which four or more people were shot, excluding the shooter. The data showed that the large-scale shootings that were all registered in the state of Pennsylvania occurred in Philadelphia in July.
Governors and mayors all make statements
The List of Governors of Pennsylvania, Josh Shapiro, said he had spoken to the mayor of Erie, Daria Devlin, and that the state government would provide full support. According to AFP, Devlin addressed the families of the victims at a press conference. “I am deeply saddened. The tragedy you have experienced is shocking, and no words at this moment can ease this pain. But please know that the entire community is with you, we mourn together, and we will always provide assistance.”
Shapiro posted on social media platform X: “My heart is broken for this family. My wife and I pray for the families of the victims and for the entire Erie community.” According to Reuters, Shapiro has long advocated for “common sense gun safety legislation” and in 2024 urged the Pennsylvania General Assembly to push for gun reforms, including background checks for all members and regulation of ghost guns (unserial, untraceable homemade guns). However, many of the proposals he proposed stalled in the state assembly. District Attorney Elizabeth Hertz called for the public to refrain from wild speculation as the case investigation is still ongoing. “Please don‘t let rumors, speculation, and unproven news add additional pain to the families of the victims.”
Surveys show that the United States is the world‘s most civilian-owned country, with an average of about 120 guns per 100 people, more guns than population. Under the proliferation of guns, gun accidents have become the “normal.” A paradoxical phenomenon is that after each traumatic shooting incident, people on the one hand fiercely discuss gun control; on the other hand, facing gun violence that can appear at any time like a ghost, more and more people choose to buy guns for self-defense due to lack of security.