9 DEAD, Including 2 Kids in Mass Shooting

Police officers secure a residential street with patrol cars and yellow tape — Photo: Steve Sanchez Photos / Shutterstock

Nine people were found dead in Erie, Pennsylvania, including two children, after a gunman opened fire and then died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to officials.

Story Snapshot

Police say nine people died at or near a Perry Street home; two were children.
Witnesses reported a man firing before entering a house; two women were found dead outside.
Officials said the suspect died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
City leaders said there was no ongoing public threat after the scene was secured.

A Residential Block, A Sudden Barrage, And A Grim Count

Erie police were dispatched to Perry Street around 5 p.m. after reports of gunfire and a man entering a home. Officers found two women dead in the street. Inside, they discovered more victims. Officials reported a total of nine people dead, including two children. The shooting unfolded on the city’s east side near Seventh and Perry Streets, a residential block where families know each other and weekends usually mean porch talk and kids on bikes.

Authorities identified the suspect as deceased from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. Police emphasized that all the deaths happened before officers entered the home. The city later said no additional shots were fired after officers arrived. Sounds that neighbors heard during the response came from tactical flash-bang devices used to secure the scene, not gunfire. Officials underscored that there was no ongoing danger to the public once the area was contained.

What Police Say Happened, Step By Step

Witnesses told investigators they saw a man fire shots outside before going into the house. Responding officers secured the perimeter and called in tactical units. Two deceased women were found outside. Additional victims were found inside. The total death count reached nine, and reporting identified two of the dead as children. The Erie Police Chief called the scene “difficult and heartbreaking,” and the department urged patience as detectives processed evidence and interviewed witnesses.

The city’s public safety message was direct: the shooter was dead, and there was no continuing threat. That guidance matters for a shaken neighborhood and a city trying to steady itself. Clear risk assessments also help prevent panic and rumor, which can grow fast after a major crime. Officials asked the public to avoid speculation, especially about motive, until investigators complete interviews and the coroner’s work.

Facts Locked Down, Motive Left Open

Police did not release names, ages beyond the two children, or family relationships. They did not give a motive. They cautioned that early details can shift as evidence is tested and timelines are matched with 911 calls, dispatch logs, and body-camera footage. That restraint tracks with best practice: confirm what is solid, hold what is fluid. The manner of death for the suspect remains “apparent” pending coroner findings, a standard label before autopsy results.

Some outlets described nine victims plus a suspect, while others counted nine dead including the suspect. That kind of counting gap appears often in the first hours after mass shootings, as different reporters mirror different phrasings from briefings. What matters most now is the coroner’s final roster, which will settle the accounting. Until then, the city’s message stands: nine people died, two were children, and the shooter is not at large.

What Investigators Will Pin Down Next

Detectives will lock the timeline: first shots, police arrival, perimeter, entry, and scene clearance. They will match shell casings to firearms, map bullet paths, and compare witness accounts to audio from dispatch and any acoustic sensors. The coroner will confirm identities and the manner and cause of each death. Those steps will harden the public record and answer key questions that shape both accountability and healing for families and neighbors.

9 people killed in mass shooting at Erie, Pennsylvania, home: Police https://t.co/ZRAl00E7WW

— TVMUNICIPAL (@MunicipalTV) October 10, 2026

Police have already addressed one rumor trap by explaining that loud bangs during the operation were tactical tools, not renewed gunfire. That detail matters. It prevents a false story that police fire added to the toll. The statement that all deaths happened before officers entered the home pushes back on the idea that a long standoff let harm continue. That message reflects a duty to calm fears and to respect the facts as they now stand.