US man kills seven relatives, family friend

A 45-year-old man killed seven family members and a family friend at his residence in Erie, Pennsylvania, before apparently taking his own life, authorities reported on Saturday. The victims, including two young children and an eight-months pregnant woman, were found dead at the scene. Video footage showed the victims arriving at the house in distress and attempting to contact neighbors before the gunman emerged and shot them.

The suspect barricaded himself inside the residence as police surrounded the building and repeatedly ordered him to surrender. He was later discovered with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The gunman and seven victims were related, while the eighth victim was a family friend. Among the deceased were a five-year-old boy and a one-year-old girl.

Erie Mayor Daria Devlin expressed that the community was struggling to cope with the loss, acknowledging the grief of residents, relatives, emergency responders, and others affected by the tragedy.