Lora Roberts and Twila Tanner were identified as two of the nine people killed in a horrific Pennsylvania murder-suicide that claimed the lives of two children and a pregnant woman. The friends reportedly rushed to the scene in a final, selfless effort to help others.
Roberts, 37, and Tanner, 51, went to the Erie, Pennsylvania, home on Friday night after a deadly shooting began, hoping to save Roberts’ niece. Both women were killed by the 45-year-old grandfather accused of carrying out the violence, according to online fundraising campaigns.
Roberts was a mother of five and had been engaged to her fiancé for 14 years, loved ones said in a fundraiser.
“Her sudden loss has left her loved ones facing heartbreak as well as immediate financial needs during an unimaginable time,” organizers wrote on the GoFundMe page.
Friends and relatives said Tanner joined Roberts as the two women hurried to the home, attempting to prevent further bloodshed. Their loved ones described their actions in a separate GoFundMe campaign.
Tanner was “bravely trying to help a friend protect her family from a violent and dangerous individual,” according to the fundraiser.
Tanner, who leaves behind children and grandchildren, was also shot and killed as she tried to help rescue Roberts’ niece from the attack, the campaign said.
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Investigators believe the two friends were the final victims killed before the shooter turned the gun on himself.
Video and audio evidence collected by investigators indicates that the “distressed” women began pounding on the Perry Road home’s door after hearing gunshots from inside.
Police said the gunman then came outside and shot both women before returning to the house and killing himself.
Both families are seeking donations to help pay funeral costs and support relatives struggling to cope with the shocking killings.
Another victim was Angelina Stone, the shooter’s pregnant daughter. She was reportedly only days away from giving birth to her third child, who was to be named Kyrie.
Stone’s other two children, 5-year-old Isiah and nearly 2-year-old Amari’anna, were also killed.
Authorities have not yet released the identities of the remaining victims as officers work to notify their next of kin. Police said all nine victims, with the exception of a family friend believed to be Tanner, were relatives.
Investigators have not disclosed a motive for the violence. Erie Police Chief Rick Lorah said he believes “mental health is at play here.”