The man who killed eight, including a pregnant woman and two young children, in Erie, Pennsylvania, was a grandfather who did not appear distressed before the massacre, according to relatives of the victims.
“I think that was a front for him,” Julius Windham said Sunday while standing at a memorial for the victims, including his 1-year-old daughter, Amarianna, her pregnant mother, the woman’s 5-year-old son and her unborn baby.
“Him every day, him smiling and being just — you would think of nothing like that would happen,” Windham said.
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The 45-year-old gunman died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound after the Friday evening shooting, Erie Police Chief Rick Lorah said. Authorities have not publicly identified the shooter or the victims, but Lorah said the gunman was related to seven of the eight people killed. The eighth victim was a friend of the pregnant woman.
Nicole and Debra Eller, whose best friend was among the victims, said they had known the family for more than 30 years.
Nicole Eller said the shooter “was a good guy, and then he started going downhill with everything.”
“They were a lovely family. Who would have thought this would ever happen?” Debra Eller said. “Oh my gosh, this is so upsetting. This should have never happened to her or the kids or anybody. His grandchildren, his kids, how can you do that?”
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Mourners gathered Sunday outside the home where the shooting unfolded, leaving candles, flowers and stuffed animals. Windham wore a T-shirt showing photos of the women and children killed, along with the words, “Forever In My Heart.”
“Words can’t even explain what I’m going through right now,” Windham said. “But I gotta be strong for my community, you know what I’m saying? My family, my daughters, my sons, everybody.”
Investigators recovered video and audio evidence that included muffled gunshots from inside the home shortly before two “distressed” women arrived and began pounding on the door, Lorah said. The gunman then came outside and shot the women as they ran toward him before returning inside.
Officers arrived within minutes after receiving an alert through ShotSpotter, a gunshot-detection system, police said. No additional shots were fired after police arrived, Lorah said, adding that sounds later mistaken for gunfire came from flash-bang devices used by SWAT officers.
Responding officers found the two women dead outside the home. After deploying a drone and robot, police entered and found the bodies of the 5-year-old boy and 1-year-old girl on the first floor; two more women and two young men in a stairwell; and the shooter on the second floor.
“Out of respect for the victims and the families, I will not discuss the details of what our officers encountered inside that home,” Lorah said at a news conference. “But I want our community to understand the gravity of what happened and the profound impact this tragedy has had on those involved and on our community as a whole.”
Lorah declined to discuss a possible motive but suggested mental health could be a factor. He said investigators would interview relatives and examine the cellphones of the women who were killed outside the home.
“They knew something was going on at that house,” Lorah said. “We have to figure out what that is.”
Lorah said the scene was devastating for first responders.
“Some scenes stay with you long after you leave them. This is one of those tragic scenes,” he said.
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Erie Mayor Daria Devlin said the police department “arrived at a horrific scene, faced unimaginable circumstances, and carried out their duties with courage and professionalism.”
“They too are members of this community, and they too will carry the weight of what happened last night,” Devlin said at a Saturday news conference, addressing the victims’ families directly: “I am so deeply sorry. What happened to you was horrific, and there is nothing that any of us can say today that will make this any easier.
“Our entire community is with you, we’re grieving with you. And we are here to support you.”
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said he spoke with Devlin and offered his administration’s “full support” after what he called “the tragic mass shooting.” Speaking later at a campaign rally outside Philadelphia, Shapiro also referenced the shooting of two Philadelphia police officers earlier Saturday.
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“Today has been a dark day across this commonwealth,” Shapiro said.
District Attorney Elizabeth Hirz urged the public not to spread unverified information while investigators continue their work.
“Please do not allow rumors, speculation or unverified information to add to the pain that these families are already experiencing,” Hirz said.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
