A Pennsylvania grandfather killed nine members of his family in a mass shooting before taking his own life, relatives said.
The 45-year-old man, whose name has not been released, opened fire at a family home in Erie at about 5 p.m. Friday. He later died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, Erie News Now reported.
Angelina Stone, a 24-year-old pregnant mother and the shooter’s daughter, was among those found dead inside the house, according to a GoFundMe page.
Stone’s unborn baby, Kyrie, and her two other young children—five-year-old Isaiah and Amari’anna, who was nearly two—also died in the shooting, her grieving family said.
Kyrie was due to be born the following Wednesday. The unborn baby and the two other children were the shooter’s grandchildren.
Erie police were dispatched after a ShotSpotter alert reported two gunshots on the street where the deadly attack took place, the department said.
When officers arrived, they found two women, ages 37 and 51, dead outside the home. Inside, they discovered the bodies of a 19-year-old man, a 21-year-old man and a 44-year-old woman.
Police have not publicly identified the victims. However, two GoFundMe pages name Lora Roberts and Twila Tanner as the women who were killed while reportedly trying to protect the children.
An unidentified 45-year-old grandfather killed nine family members in a mass shooting Friday evening in Erie, Pennsylvania, before police said he turned the gun on himself
Angelina Stone, a 24-year-old pregnant mother and the shooter’s daughter, was found dead inside the home, according to a GoFundMe page
Stone’s unborn child, Kyrie, and her two young children, five-year-old Isaiah and nearly two-year-old Amari’anna, also died in the shooting, her family said
‘On October 9th in Erie, Pennsylvania, Twila Tanner tragically lost her life while bravely trying to help a friend protect her family from a violent and dangerous individual. In a moment of courage and selflessness, Twila put herself in harm’s way to help others,’ a fundraiser for Tanner said.
Kellie Eggleston created another fundraising page in memory of Roberts.
Eggleston’s fiancé, Adam Posland, shared the fundraiser on Facebook, writing that Roberts ‘gave her life trying to save another.’
Public records show that Tanner was 51 and Roberts was 37.
CONTINUE READING: Serena William’s half-sister reveals heartbreak after she was named a suspect by cops in her son’s tragic overdose death – NewsFinale
Roberts was remembered in her fundraiser as a devoted mother of five. She had been engaged to Jeremy, her partner of 14 years.
Juicesiyah Alexander Ezekiel, the father of Amari’anna, told the local outlet that the gunman was Stone’s father.
‘It was my baby, bro, and he just took her,’ Ezekiel told Erie News Now, speaking about his daughter.
‘Her name was Amari’anna. She was the most beautiful baby God could have created.’
Lora Roberts (left) and her friend Twila Tanner (right) were killed while reportedly trying to protect the children, according to GoFundMe pages
His sister, Lisa Simmers, is also in disbelief over the tragedy.
‘They are all just beautiful children and definitely did not deserve what happened to them.
‘We just want to make it right so that the respects are paid to them and they get the send-off they deserve. At the end of the day, what happened will be remembered for years. This is not something that the city will ever forget,’ Simmers added.
Video surveillance captured gunfire breaking out inside the home before two ‘distressed’ women started banging on the front door, according to authorities.
The shooter then came outside and shot them dead before retreating into the home and turning the gun on himself, police said.
The circumstances surrounding the massacre continue to be investigated, but according to police, they believe this was a ‘mental health’ situation
The circumstances surrounding the massacre remain under investigation, but according to police, they believe this was a mental health situation.
Police said identifications of the victims and shooter are being held as of Sunday because ‘surviving family members are still being notified.’
The Daily Mail contacted the Erie Police Department and the Erie County Coroner’s Office for comment.