9 people shot dead—including pregnant woman, two children—in suspected murder-suicide in Erie, Pennsylvania

Nine people have been shot dead, including a pregnant woman and children during an incident that took place in Erie, Pennsylvania, on Friday evening. The shooter is also deceased in the suspected murder-suicide.

Police said that it was one of the most heartbreaking scenes they have ever encountered. "I have not seen anything like this in my 28-plus years," Erie Police Chief Rick Lorah said. "I'm not sure that the city of Erie has ever seen the loss of life and the devastation that we just witnessed."

The shooting took place in Erie, around 120 miles north of Pittsburgh on the 700 block of Perry Street. Residents called 911 after seeing a man firing a handgun outside a home. When police arrived, there were two women who lay dead in the street, one of whom was pregnant with a child, per the Daily Mail.

"This is one of the most difficult and heartbreaking scenes our officers and investigators have ever encountered," Lorah said. All the deaths took place before police could arrive on the scene. After the shooting, the police and SWAT surrounded the home where the suspect was located and had barricaded himself in. They ordered the gunman to surrender, but did not get a response. The police later found the bodies of several people inside the home, including the shooter's.

“I wanna be candid with our community, this is one of the most difficult and heartbreaking scenes that our officers and investigators have ever encountered," Lorah said in the statement, but did not disclose the details of the brutal scene "out of respect for the victims."

"My heart breaks for this family. Lori and I are praying for their loved ones and the entire Erie community," Governor Josh Shapiro said in a post to X.