▲ The scene of the mass shooting in Erie, Pennsylvania, U.S.
The revelation by family members and friends that a grandfather was the gunman in a mass shooting that left eight people dead in Pennsylvania has shocked American society.
According to the Associated Press, the mass shooting took place at around 5:00 p.m. on the 9th local time in Erie, a city located about 200 kilometers north of Pittsburgh, resulting in eight deaths.
The 45-year-old male gunman took his own life, bringing the total death toll to nine including him.
The victims included a pregnant woman, her 5-year-old son, and her 1-year-old daughter, Amariana.
Julius Windham, the father of Amariana, spoke at a vigil for the shooting victims on the 11th, saying, "There are no words to explain what I'm going through right now."
Windham said that the gunman was a grandfather who showed no unusual signs in everyday life and always had a smiling face, adding, "You would have never thought that would happen."
Erie Police Chief Rick Lorah explained that seven of the eight victims were relatives of the gunman, while the remaining victim was a friend of the pregnant female victim, though their names and identities were not disclosed.
Chief Lorah stated, based on video and audio evidence secured by police, that muffled gunshots were heard inside the house just before two "extremely distressed" women arrived at the residence and knocked on the door.
According to police, the gunman then came outside, shot at individuals running toward him, and went back inside the house.
Responding police officers discovered the bodies of two women outside the house.
After deploying drones and robots, police entered the house and found the bodies of a 5-year-old boy and a 1-year-old girl on the first floor, the bodies of two women and a young man on the landing, and the body of the gunman on the second floor.
Chief Lorah said, "Out of respect for the victims and their families, I will not detail the conditions our officers faced inside that residence," while asking the community to understand the severity of the incident and its profound impact on the entire community.
Regarding the two female victims killed outside the house, Chief Lorah said, "They knew something was going on at that house," adding, "We need to find out what that was."
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
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