Nine dead, including two children, in US mass shooting, governor says

• Nine people were reported dead following a shooting in Erie, Pennsylvania, on Friday, Oct. 9.
• The suspected shooter was also found dead, apparently from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
• Police said there was no continuing threat to the public as investigators worked to establish what happened.

A shooting in the northwestern Pennsylvania city of Erie left nine people dead, including two children, according to reports published on Saturday.

Police were called to a home on Perry Street at around 5 p.m. local time on Friday after witnesses reported seeing a man firing a handgun outside the residence before going inside, according to local media reports.

Responding officers found two women fatally wounded in the street, while additional victims were discovered inside the property, CBS Pittsburgh reported.

The incident prompted a standoff, with police surrounding the home and a SWAT team involved in the response. Officers subsequently entered the residence, where they found further victims and the suspected shooter.

The suspect appeared to have died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to local reporting. Authorities have not established a motive for the shooting.

Erie Police Chief Rick Lorah described the loss of life as unprecedented in his more than 28 years in law enforcement. He said investigators were working to determine the circumstances of the incident and declined to speculate about what prompted the violence.

City officials said late Friday that the situation had been contained and that there was no continuing danger to the public. Authorities urged the public to allow investigators to carry out their work.

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro said on Saturday that he had offered his administration's full support to Erie Mayor Daria Devlin following the shooting.

Erie is located on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately 128 miles (206 kilometres) north of Pittsburgh.

The investigation remains ongoing, and authorities have not publicly established a motive for the killings.