Nine people, including the suspected gunman, are dead following a shooting at a residential home in Erie, Pennsylvania, on Friday night, authorities said. The victims included a 5-year-old boy, a 1-year-old girl, a pregnant woman and several other adults, marking a devastating loss for one family and the surrounding community.

Erie Police Chief Rick Lorah said Saturday that the suspected shooter was a 45-year-old man who was related to seven of the victims. The eighth victim was reportedly a friend of the pregnant woman. Authorities have not publicly identified the victims or established a motive for the killings.

Investigators said video and audio evidence showed two distressed women arriving at the home shortly before 5 p.m. Friday and pounding on the door. The gunman then emerged from the residence and shot both women before returning inside, according to Lorah.

When officers arrived, they found the two women dead outside the home. Inside, police discovered the bodies of a 5-year-old boy, a 1-year-old girl, two additional women, two young men and the suspected shooter.

Authorities said all nine deaths occurred before officers reached the scene. Police responded within minutes of receiving an alert from ShotSpotter, a gunshot detection system that uses a network of microphones and automated technology to identify potential gunfire.

City officials confirmed that no additional shots were fired after officers arrived. Sounds during the police response that may have been mistaken for gunfire were actually flash-bang devices used by law enforcement during its tactical operation, according to the city's statement.

Officials initially had limited information about the situation inside the residence, including whether the gunman remained alive or posed an ongoing threat when officers arrived. Authorities later confirmed that the suspected shooter was dead and that there was no continuing danger to the public.

Lorah declined to discuss a possible motive, saying investigators still needed to speak with relatives and examine the cellphones belonging to the two women who were killed outside the home. Their actions before arriving at the residence could help investigators understand what led to the shooting.

“They knew something was going on at that house,” Lorah said. “We have to figure out what that is.”

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said he had spoken with Erie Mayor Daria Devlin and offered the state's full support to the community as authorities investigate the killings.

“My heart breaks for this family,” Shapiro wrote on X, adding that he and his wife, Lori, were praying for the victims' loved ones and the entire Erie community.

The shooting has left investigators working to piece together the events that preceded the attack, including what prompted the two women to rush to the home shortly before the violence began. Authorities have not announced a confirmed motive or released further details about the relationships among all those killed.

Erie is located in northwestern Pennsylvania, approximately 128 miles north of Pittsburgh. Police said additional information would be released as the investigation continues.