English
A grieving father stood at a makeshift memorial in Erie, Pennsylvania, on Sunday and described the man who killed eight people — including his 1-year-old daughter — as someone who never showed any signs of danger. Julius Windham said the gunman appeared completely normal in everyday life, hiding whatever drove him to carry out one of the deadliest mass shootings in the city’s history.
“Him every day, him smiling and being just — you would think nothing like that would happen,” Windham said. “I think that was a front for him.”
Stay connected to every major update — subscribe and follow us on the PhoenixQ website and across our social media platforms.
Among the eight victims were Windham’s daughter Amarianna, her pregnant mother, and the woman’s 5-year-old son. The unborn baby also died. Windham arrived at the memorial wearing a T-shirt printed with photographs of the slain woman and children, bearing the words “Forever In My Heart.”
Gunman Killed Seven Relatives and One Family Friend
The shooting took place shortly before 5 p.m. on Friday inside a home in Erie. The gunman, a 45-year-old man, died by suicide. Authorities have not yet released his name. However, Erie Police Chief Rick Lorah confirmed the shooter was related to seven of the eight victims. The eighth victim was a friend of the pregnant woman.
Video and audio evidence collected by investigators captured muffled gunshots from inside the home. Shortly after, two women arrived at the door in visible distress and began pounding on it. The gunman then came outside and shot both women as they ran toward him, before going back inside.
Responding officers found the two women dead outside the property. After deploying a drone and a robot, officers entered the home. They found the bodies of the 5-year-old boy and the 1-year-old girl on the first floor. Two more women and two young men were found in a stairwell. Officers then located the shooter’s body 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.”
Investigators Look Into Mental Health as a Possible Factor
Lorah declined to discuss a specific motive. However, he suggested mental health may have played a role. Investigators plan to speak with relatives and examine the cellphones belonging to the two women shot outside the home.
“They knew something was going on at that house,” Lorah said. “We have to figure out what that is.”
Long-time family friends Nicole and Debra Eller said they had known the family for more than 30 years. Nicole Eller described the shooter as someone who had changed over time. “He was a good guy, and then he started going downhill with everything,” she said.
Debra Eller expressed shock and grief. “They were a lovely family. Who would have thought this would ever happen?” she said. “His grandchildren, his kids — how can you do that?”
Community Mourns as City Leaders Offer Condolences
On Sunday, mourners gathered outside the home where the shooting occurred. They placed candles, flowers and stuffed animals at the scene as a tribute to the victims.
Windham, still processing the loss of his daughter and her family, spoke about the need to stay strong. “Words can’t even explain what I’m going through right now,” he said. “But I gotta be strong for my community, my family, my daughters, my sons, everybody.”
Erie Mayor Daria Devlin addressed the victims’ families directly at a news conference on Saturday. “I am so deeply sorry,” Devlin said. “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.”
Erie sits approximately 120 miles north of Pittsburgh. The shooting drew comparisons to a 1982 massacre in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, where a man killed 13 people, including five of his own children. As investigators continue their work, the Erie community remains in mourning over a tragedy that claimed eight lives, including those of young children and an unborn baby.
