A 45-year-old man shot and killed seven relatives and a family friend at a home in Pennsylvania before apparently taking his own life, authorities have said.
The victims in the city of Erie included two young children and a woman who was eight months pregnant.
Police responded to reports of shots fired and discovered two women dead in the street, Erie Police Chief Rick Lorah told reporters.
The gunman barricaded himself inside the home as police surrounded the building and ordered him to exit. He was later found inside with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, Lorah said.
The shooter and seven of his victims were related, Lorah said. The eighth victim was a family friend.
Found inside the home were the bodies of a five-year-old boy and a one-year-old girl. The others were men and women ranging in age from 19 to 51.
Local news outlet Erie News Now said responding officers were being offered counselling over the horrifying incident.
Erie Mayor Daria Devlin told reporters: “Many people across our community are hurting today: the neighbours who witnessed what happened, the families and friends of those who were killed, the officers and first responders who answered these calls, and others struggling to make sense of something so terrible;
“We cannot undo what happened last night, and we cannot take away the grief that these families are carrying, but we can make sure that they don’t have to carry it alone.”
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro said: “I’ve spoken with Mayor Devlin and offered my administration’s full support following the tragic mass shooting in Erie last night – killing nine of our fellow Pennsylvanians. My heart breaks for this family.”
Lorah told local media that the crime scene was by far the worst one he had ever seen in his law enforcement career.
He said: “I’m not sure that the city of Erie has ever seen the loss of life and the devastation that we just witnessed.”
– AFP