A PREGNANT woman and several children were among nine people killed in a suspected murder-suicide inside a family home.
The suspected shooter allegedly opened fire inside a Pennsylvania home and murdered multiple people including two children.
Police raced to reports of gunfire at around 5pm on Perry Street in Erie.
Two women were found dead lying in the road with fatal gunshot wounds.
The suspected killer had barricaded himself inside the home – still armed with a handgun – sparking a furious exchange of fire with the SWAT team.
Several shots were fired before the shooter reportedly turned the gun on himself.
Cops later discovered multiple dead bodies throughout the house in a crime scene which one police chief described as “deeply disturbing”.
A pregnant woman and two children were among the dead.
Erie Police Chief Rick Lorah said: “I wanna be candid with our community, this is one of the most difficult and heartbreaking scenes that our officers and investigators have ever encountered.
“The loss of life is devastating and the circumstances that were are working through are deeply disturbing.”
Explicit details of the circumstances of death have not been shared “out of respect for the victims”, said Lorah.
The suspect died of an apparent “self-inflicted gunshot wound” said police.
The relationship between the shooter and his victims is not known and no motive for the killings has been established.
Police chief Lorah said there was “no ongoing threat to the public”.
He added: “Our hearts are with the victims, their families and everyone affected by this tragedy.
“There are no words that can adequately express the magnitude of the loss of life here.”
An investigation into the horror mass shooting has been opened.
It comes after a gunman opened fire inside a Pennsylvania university during homecoming last year.
One person was killed and six others injured in the horrifying attack.
And in 2021 in Philadelphia after a shooter fired off at least 65 rounds of bullets.
Chief Inspector Scott Small said: “The crime scene is very extensive. There are over 65 spent shell casings.
“That’s a lot of shots. There are at least 65 shots fired from two separate caliber semi-automatic weapons.”
