Erie Shooting Timeline: What We Know

Last updated: Sunday, October 11, 2026, 9:00 a.m. ET. This is a developing story. We will correct this report as officials release new information, and every change will be noted in the update log at the bottom.

The Erie shooting on the evening of Friday, October 9, 2026, left nine people dead, including the man police believe was the gunman, at a home in the 700 block of Perry Street on the city’s East Side in Erie, Pennsylvania. Erie Police Chief Rick Lorah said eight victims were killed, among them two young children and a woman who was eight months pregnant, and that the suspected shooter died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound before officers entered. This report sets out what officials have confirmed, a dated timeline, and, just as importantly, what is not yet known.

Downtown Erie, Pennsylvania skyline seen across Presque Isle Bay on a clear day — Downtown Erie, Pennsylvania, seen from Presque Isle State Park. Photo: Andre Carrotflowe, via Wikimedia Commons, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. The photo is a general view of the city and does not show the scene of the shooting.

Erie Shooting: What We Know So Far

Where: A residence in the 700 block of Perry Street, near East 7th and Perry Streets, on Erie’s East Side, according to the City of Erie and Erie Police Department news conference on October 10 as reported by TalkErie.
When: Friday, October 9, 2026. Police said they responded at about 4:53 p.m. after a ShotSpotter gunfire-detection alert for two rounds. (One outlet reported about 4:50 p.m.; see the discrepancies section below.)
How many: Nine people are dead: eight victims and the suspected shooter. Gov. Josh Shapiro described it as nine fellow Pennsylvanians killed, according to The Associated Press. Some outlets, including the BBC, headline the figure as eight because it counts only the victims.
Who the victims were, as described by police: a 51-year-old woman, a 37-year-old woman, a 5-year-old boy, a girl aged 1 year and 10 months, a 24-year-old woman who was eight months pregnant, a 44-year-old woman, a 19-year-old man and a 21-year-old man. Police said eight of the people who died were related and that the ninth victim was a family friend.
The suspect: A 45-year-old man, found dead on the second floor of the home with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound and a handgun, according to police. Because he died, no criminal charges are expected against him. Police have not publicly released his name.

Erie Shooting Timeline: October 9 to October 11

All times are Eastern. The timeline below is built only from statements by officials and from outlets reporting those statements. Where an outlet’s account differs from the official summary, we say so.

Friday, October 9, about 4:53 p.m.: Erie police patrol officers responded to a ShotSpotter alert for two gunshots in the 700 block of Perry Street and arrived within minutes, according to the city’s account on TalkErie and reporting by WPXI.
On arrival: Officers found two women, aged 51 and 37, dead outside the home. Chief Lorah said video evidence showed the two women arriving at the house in distress, asking neighbors for help and pounding on the door. He said audio captured what sounded like muffled gunfire from inside, after which the suspect came out and shot both women, as reported by WPXI and the BBC.
After the first officers arrived: Police said no gunshots were heard once officers were on scene, and investigators determined that all nine people had died by then. Officers entered the home after hearing no sounds from inside, the BBC reported.
Inside the home: Police found a 5-year-old boy and a girl aged 1 year and 10 months on the first floor. A 24-year-old woman, a 44-year-old woman and two men, aged 19 and 21, were found on the second floor and stairwell, along with the suspected shooter.
Friday night: The City of Erie posted that the suspected shooter was dead and there was no ongoing threat, per the AP.
Saturday, October 10, morning: Gov. Shapiro said he had spoken with Mayor Daria Devlin and offered the state’s “full support.” He wrote that the shooting “has broken hearts across Pennsylvania,” per WPXI and the AP.
Saturday, October 10, afternoon: Chief Lorah, Erie County District Attorney Elizabeth Hirz and Mayor Devlin held a news conference at City Hall. Lorah said mental health may be a factor but that “it is too soon to really go into a motive,” according to the Erie Times-News / USA Today Network. He described the case as a domestic situation because eight of those killed were related.
Saturday, October 10, afternoon: Erie County Coroner Lyell Cook ruled the deaths of the victims homicides and the death of the 45-year-old man a suicide, and said no autopsies would be performed, according to GoErie.
Saturday, October 10, evening: Hundreds of people gathered at East 7th and Perry Streets for a vigil, according to Erie News Now.
Sunday, October 11, morning: As of this update, we have found no report that the coroner has released the victims’ or the suspect’s names.

What Officials Have Said About the Victims and the Coroner’s Findings

According to GoErie, Coroner Cook ruled the deaths of six adults and two children as homicides, along with the death of one adult woman’s unborn child. He described the 24-year-old woman as full-term pregnant; Chief Lorah said she was eight months pregnant. That is why you may see different totals: officials count nine dead people, which includes the suspect, while the coroner’s homicide ruling also references the unborn child.

Cook said all but one of the victims were pronounced dead at the scene on the evening of October 9, and that the remaining person was pronounced dead after being taken to a hospital. He said he was not yet ready to release names because he was still working to reach family members. Mayor Devlin said identities would come from the Erie County Coroner’s Office.

We are not naming the victims or the suspect in this report. Names have not been officially released, and some relatives have spoken publicly to local outlets about people they lost. Where families choose to share their loved ones’ names, we will update this report only after the coroner confirms identities.

What Investigators Are Doing

Police describe the investigation as active and ongoing. Based on official statements and the reporting cited here:

The Erie Police Department is leading the investigation, and District Attorney Hirz said her office is working with police, per the Erie Times-News.
Investigators are reviewing video and audio evidence from the scene, including footage of the two women who arrived at the home asking for help, per WPXI and the BBC.
WPXI reported that police are reviewing the cell phones of the two women found outside and are looking into the suspect’s history with law enforcement.
The Erie Times-News reported that a .40-caliber handgun was recovered from the suspect and, per the chief, that it was registered to him. We read that detail from a news excerpt and have not confirmed it against a full transcript.
The city said it will share additional confirmed information as it becomes available, with consideration for the families and for the integrity of the investigation.

What We Don’t Know

This section matters as much as the timeline. As of this update, the following has not been established by officials:

Motive. Chief Lorah said mental health may be at play but said it is too soon to discuss a motive. No official has stated why the shooting happened.
The identities of the victims and the suspect. The coroner has not released names. We have not published any.
The suspect’s relationship to the victims. Police said eight victims were related to one another and called it a domestic situation. In the sources we reviewed, officials have not detailed how the suspect was related to them, if at all.
The exact sequence inside the home. Officials have described where people were found, but not the order of events inside the house or how long it lasted.
What the two women outside knew or saw. One outlet reported that police believe they may have known what was happening inside. We have not seen an official statement that says what they knew.
Prior contact with police. WPXI reported that investigators are examining the suspect’s history with law enforcement. What that history is has not been made public.

Conflicting Reports and Discrepancies

Early coverage of fast-moving events often contains differences. Here are the ones we found, and how we handled them.

Time of the call. Most outlets, citing police, say about 4:53 p.m. One report put the call at about 4:50 p.m. We use 4:53 p.m. because it matches the city’s own account.
Eight or nine dead. Headlines vary because some count only victims and others include the suspect. Officials say nine people died, eight victims and the suspect.
The young girl’s age. Police gave her age as 1 year and 10 months. Some outlets round to “1” and one reported she was nearly 2.
A possible standoff. One tabloid-style aggregator, Times News Network, wrote that the gunman barricaded himself and created a standoff while police awaited a warrant. The city’s summary says investigators determined the suspect had died before officers entered and that no shots were fired after they arrived. We rely on the official account and have not repeated the standoff claim as fact.
A third young child. That same aggregator mentioned a 10-month-old on the first floor. Police and other outlets describe two children. We have not included a third child.

Community Response and Support Resources

Mayor Devlin spoke directly to the families at the news conference: “I am so deeply sorry,” she said, adding that the community is “grieving with you, and here to support you.” The city said it is working with UPMC Crisis Services, AHN Behavioral Health, local schools and other partners to connect families, neighbors, students and first responders with trauma support. The mayor asked residents to respect families’ privacy and to avoid sharing unverified information.

UPMC Crisis Services: 814-456-2014, available 24 hours a day.
AHN Behavioral Health: 814-866-8484.
Emergencies: dial 911. If you or someone you know is in crisis or thinking about suicide in the United States, you can also call or text 988.

Erie News Now reported that hundreds attended Saturday’s vigil, and that a relative said the family wanted people to come to pay their respects. Online fundraisers for funeral costs have been mentioned in local coverage. We have not independently verified any fundraiser and are not linking one. If you want to help, please check with the family or a verified local organization first.

Related Coverage

For other recent reporting on violence and the justice system, see our reports on the Hyde Park fatal shooting near the Fairmount tracks and the Fort Hood shooter’s scheduled execution. Chief Lorah, who has served more than 28 years, told a local station he had not seen anything like Friday’s shooting.

Update Log and Corrections

October 11, 2026, 9:00 a.m. ET: First published. Reflects reporting through the morning of October 11. No names released by the coroner as of this time.

If you see an error, or if you are a family member or official who would like to share verified information, please contact us through our Contact page or review our Corrections policy.

Erie PA Shooting: Timeline, What We Know and What We Don’t