Authorities Identify Adult Victims and Suspect in Erie Mass Shooting

Erie County officials identified six adult victims and the suspected shooter after a mass shooting on Oct. 9 at a home near Lake Erie. The victims were named as Twila Tanner, 51; Angelina Stone, 24, who was eight months pregnant; Jonathan Stone, 19; Matthew Stone Jr., 21; Michelle Stone, 44; and Lora Roberts, 37. The suspect was identified as Matthew Stone Sr., 45. The coroner said the suspect died by suicide, while the other deaths were ruled homicides.

Police said the gunman killed six people inside the house before shooting two women outside the home and then turning the gun on himself. The two women, including a family friend, were not named because they were adults but their identities were not released. The two youngest victims, a 5-year-old boy and a 22-month-old girl, were not named due to their age.

Erie Police Chief Rick Lorah described the scene as the worst he had encountered in his career and said it was "horrific." He added that mental health may be a factor but cautioned that it is too early to determine a motive. The handgun used was legally registered to the suspect, who had last interacted with police in 2022. No autopsies were performed on any of the victims or the suspect.