Patriarch Identified as Shooter in Tragic Family Incident

WHO:

CNN - Julius Windham stated, “Words can’t even explain what I’m going through right now. But I gotta be strong for my community, you know what I’m saying? My family, my daughters, my sons, everybody.”

CNN - Erie Mayor Daria Devlin expressed condolences, saying, “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.”

CNN - Julius Windham stated that the shooter "was a good guy, and then he started going downhill with everything."

CNN - Nicole Eller said, “They were a lovely family. Who would have thought this would ever happen?”

CNN - The gunman was a 45-year-old grandfather related to seven of the eight victims.

CNN - Julius Windham is the father of the 1-year-old victim, Amarianna.

CNN - Erie Police Chief Rick Lorah provided details about the incident.

CNN - Nicole and Debra Eller are acquaintances of the family and friends of one of the victims.

WHAT:

CNN - The shooting occurred on a Friday, October 9, at approximately 5 p.m.

CNN - The shooter was identified as a grandfather who was related to seven of the eight victims, with the eighth being a friend of the pregnant woman.

CNN - The police chief described the circumstances of the shooting as “deeply disturbing.”

CNN - Investigators 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 were found in a stairwell.

CNN - The shooter was identified as a grandfather who was related to seven of the eight victims, with the eighth being a friend of the pregnant woman.

CNN - The police chief described the circumstances of the shooting as “deeply disturbing.”

CNN - The shooter was found dead on the second floor of the home.

CNN - Eight people were killed in a mass shooting in Erie, Pennsylvania.

CNN - The shooter took his own life after the incident.

CNN - The victims included a 1-year-old girl, her pregnant mother, a 5-year-old boy, and two women and two young men.

CNN - Mourners placed candles, flowers, and stuffed animals outside the shooter's home.

WHERE:

CNN - The shooting occurred at a home in Erie, Pennsylvania, approximately 120 miles (190 kilometers) north of Pittsburgh.

WHEN:

CNN - The shooting took place shortly before 5 p.m. on a Friday.

WHY:

CNN - Police Chief Rick Lorah suggested that investigators would talk to relatives and examine the cellphones of the women who were killed outside the home to understand the situation better.

CNN - Police Chief Lorah suggested that mental health could be a factor in the shooting.

CNN - Nicole Eller stated that the shooter "was a good guy, and then he started going downhill with everything."

HOW:

CNN - Responding officers deployed a drone and robot to enter the home and locate the victims.

CNN - Investigators recovered video and audio evidence that included muffled gunshot sounds coming from inside the home just before two “distressed” women arrived and began pounding on the door.

CNN - Investigators recovered video and audio evidence that included muffled gunshot sounds just before two women arrived and began pounding on the door.

CNN - Investigators recovered video and audio evidence, including muffled gunshot sounds before two women arrived and were shot by the gunman.

CNN - Responding officers used a drone and robot to enter the home and locate the victims.

(UPDATED October 12, 2026 22:59 UTC)

A deeply disturbing shooting occurred recently, involving a grandfather who was related to seven of the eight victims, with the eighth being a friend of a pregnant woman. Investigators discovered the bodies of a 5-year-old boy and a 1-year-old girl on the first floor, while two more women and two young men were found in a stairwell. In response to the incident, officers utilized a drone and a robot to enter the home and locate the victims.

(UPDATED October 12, 2026 13:25 UTC)

In a heartbreaking statement, Julius Windham shared his struggle, saying, “Words can’t even explain what I’m going through right now,” while emphasizing the need to stay strong for his community and family. Erie Mayor Daria Devlin offered her condolences, describing the situation as horrific and acknowledging that no words could ease the pain. Investigators have identified the shooter as a grandfather related to seven of the eight victims, with the eighth being a friend of the pregnant woman, and they recovered video and audio evidence that captured muffled gunshots just before two distressed women arrived and began pounding on the door.

(UPDATED October 12, 2026 06:08 UTC)

In a deeply disturbing incident, police found the shooter dead on the second floor of a home after two women were shot outside. Witnesses described the shooter as a good guy who had recently started to decline, while one neighbor remarked on the lovely nature of the family involved, leaving many shocked by the tragedy. Police Chief Rick Lorah indicated that investigators will be speaking with relatives and examining the victims' cellphones, and they have already recovered video and audio evidence capturing muffled gunshot sounds just before the women arrived and began pounding on the door.

(UPDATED October 12, 2026 04:12 UTC)

A tragic mass shooting in Erie, Pennsylvania, has left eight people dead, including a 1-year-old girl and her pregnant mother, with the shooter, a 45-year-old grandfather related to seven of the victims, taking his own life afterward. Erie Police Chief Rick Lorah indicated that mental health may have played a role in the incident, while acquaintances of the family mourned outside the shooter's home, leaving candles and stuffed animals. Investigators have recovered video and audio evidence, including muffled gunshots, and responding officers utilized a drone and robot to enter the home and locate the victims.