9 killed in Erie, Pennsylvania shooting, including 2 children
Synopsis
A gunman killed nine people — including two children — on a street and inside a home in Erie, Pennsylvania on Friday evening, with all victims dead before police arrived. The suspect was also found dead. The shooting, one of the deadliest domestic incidents this month, comes days after a separate FBI sting foiled an alleged Islamic State-inspired mass-casualty plot at the Mall of America in Minnesota.
Key Takeaways
Nine people , including two children , were killed in a shooting on Perry Street, Erie, Pennsylvania on Friday evening .
All fatalities occurred before police arrived at the scene; no additional shots were fired after their arrival.
Two women were found dead in the street; remaining victims were discovered inside a home.
The suspect was found dead with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound .
Police have not yet released victim identities or established a confirmed motive .
Separately, Sheikhdoon Abdullahi Mohamud , 18, was charged after an FBI sting foiled an alleged plot to attack the Mall of America in Minnesota; a preliminary hearing is set for 19 October .
A mass shooting in Erie, Pennsylvania left nine people dead — including two children — on Friday evening, with all fatalities occurring before police reached the scene, authorities confirmed on Saturday, 11 October 2026. The suspect was also found dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
How the shooting unfolded
Police were called to Perry Street in Erie after eyewitnesses reported seeing a man firing a weapon before he entered a nearby home. Officers arrived to find two women dead in the street; additional victims were subsequently discovered inside the residence.
The City of Erie authorities confirmed on Saturday that all nine deaths took place before law enforcement arrived at the location. No further shots were fired after police reached the scene.
Suspect and investigation
The suspected gunman was found dead inside the home with what authorities described as an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. Police have not yet released the identities of those killed and have not publicly discussed a possible motive. Further details are awaited as the investigation continues.
Broader context: Gun violence in the US
The Erie tragedy comes amid a period of renewed scrutiny over gun violence across the United States. This month, separately, an 18-year-old Minnesota man, identified as Sheikhdoon Abdullahi Mohamud, was charged with a federal firearm offence in connection with an alleged plot to attack the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota — the largest shopping centre in the country.
According to an FBI affidavit, Mohamud allegedly planned a shooting at the mall in support of the Islamic State, and on Tuesday paid $600 to an undercover FBI employee for an AK-47 rifle, four magazines, and approximately 200 rounds of ammunition. The rifle had reportedly been rendered inert prior to the transaction, while the ammunition was live, according to the filing. Agents arrested Mohamud shortly after he left the undercover employee's vehicle.
The FBI reportedly began investigating Mohamud in December 2024, after he allegedly exchanged hundreds of messages with a confidential source through social media and encrypted messaging applications. In July, he allegedly discussed carrying out a shooting at the mall and stated he might kill between 30 and 60 people. By September, he had reportedly identified 24 October as the target date and sent the source a link to a Hmong Arts Celebration scheduled at the venue, according to the affidavit.
A preliminary hearing in the Mall of America case is scheduled for 19 October. The mall said it maintained multiple layers of security and would continue working with law enforcement.
What comes next in Erie
Erie law enforcement has not indicated a timeline for releasing the victims' identities or establishing a confirmed motive. As investigators piece together the sequence of events on Perry Street, the incident is likely to intensify national debate over domestic gun violence and response protocols.
Point of View
Including two children, before a single officer arrived — underscores a recurring failure in the US gun violence cycle: the gap between the first shot and any meaningful intervention. That all deaths were complete before police reached Perry Street is not an anomaly; it is a pattern. The simultaneous Mall of America terror-plot arrest, coming within days, risks collapsing two distinct issues — domestic gun violence and ideologically motivated terrorism — into a single narrative, when they demand separate policy responses. The Erie story, with no motive yet established and no names released, risks fading from the national conversation before the facts are even known.
NationPress
11 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened in the Erie, Pennsylvania shooting?
A gunman opened fire on Perry Street in Erie, Pennsylvania on Friday evening, killing nine people including two children. Two women were found dead in the street and additional victims were discovered inside a nearby home; the suspect was also found dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Were any victims identified in the Erie shooting?
As of Saturday, 11 October 2026, police had not released the identities of any of the nine people killed. No motive has been publicly discussed, and investigators say further details are still being gathered.
Was the Erie shooter killed or arrested?
The suspected gunman was found dead inside the home with what authorities described as an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. No arrests have been made in connection with the shooting.
What is the Mall of America shooting plot and how is it connected?
The Mall of America case is a separate incident: an 18-year-old Minnesota man, Sheikhdoon Abdullahi Mohamud, was charged with a firearm offence after an FBI sting operation allegedly caught him buying weapons to carry out a mass shooting in support of the Islamic State. It is not connected to the Erie shooting but represents another major US gun-violence story from the same week.
When is the next court date in the Mall of America case?
A preliminary hearing for Sheikhdoon Abdullahi Mohamud is scheduled for 19 October in the US District Court for the District of Minnesota. The FBI began its investigation into Mohamud in December 2024.
