By SCN News
ERIE, Pennsylvania, — Authorities in northwestern Pennsylvania on Monday identified the gunman and six adult victims of a mass shooting that killed eight people, including two young children and a pregnant woman, at a home in Erie last week, as investigators continued examining the circumstances behind one of the city's deadliest acts of violence.
Erie County Coroner Lyell Cook identified the attacker as Matthew Stone Sr., 45, who police said died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound after killing eight people on Friday, October 9. Seven of the victims were related to the gunman, while the eighth was a family acquaintance, according to Erie Police Chief Rick Lorah.
The adult victims were identified as Michelle Stone, 44; Angelina Stone, 24; Jonathan Stone, 19; Matthew Stone, 21; Lora Roberts, 37; and Twila Tanner, 51. The two youngest victims were a five-year-old boy and a one-year-old girl whose names were withheld by the coroner in accordance with Pennsylvania law.
The identification of the victims provided new details about the scale of the tragedy, which devastated several generations of one family and claimed the lives of two women who had approached the residence shortly before the shooting ended.
Angelina Stone was pregnant and expected to give birth on Monday, the day authorities released the victims' identities. Her two young children were also killed, according to relatives who spoke publicly as the community gathered to mourn.
Julius Windham, the father of the one-year-old girl, identified his daughter as Amarianna during a memorial outside the home. He said Angelina Stone was the mother of both children and described the attacker as the family's grandfather and patriarch.
Windham expressed disbelief that a man he had known as an apparently ordinary family member could commit such violence. His account added to the distress of relatives and neighbours attempting to understand how an attack involving multiple members of the same family could have occurred.
The shooting took place shortly before 5 p.m. on Friday at a residence in eastern Erie. Police responding to reports of gunfire discovered two women dead outside the property and subsequently found six additional victims inside.
According to Lorah, investigators recovered video and audio evidence that captured gunshots coming from inside the home before two visibly distressed women arrived and began pounding on the front door.
The gunman then emerged from the residence and shot the women as they approached or attempted to reach him, police said. He subsequently returned inside the house, where officers later found his body.
Authorities identified the two women killed outside as Roberts and Tanner. Police said Tanner was the only victim who was not related to the gunman.
The sequence of events remains a central focus of the investigation. Detectives are seeking to establish what the women knew before arriving at the property and whether they were responding to an emergency involving the family.
Police have said they intend to interview relatives and examine the mobile phones of the women killed outside the home as part of efforts to reconstruct the events leading up to the attack.
Responding officers used a drone and a robotic device to examine the residence before entering, reflecting the uncertainty they faced about whether the gunman remained an immediate threat.
Inside, officers discovered the bodies of the two children on the first floor, while four adult victims were found in a stairwell area. The gunman's body was located on the second floor.
Lorah has declined to provide graphic details about the condition of the victims, citing respect for their families and the seriousness of the investigation.
The police chief has not identified a confirmed motive. He acknowledged that investigators were examining whether the attacker's mental health may have been a factor, but authorities have not established a diagnosis or determined what triggered the killings.
The absence of a confirmed motive has left relatives, neighbours and community members struggling to understand the violence. Police have not publicly identified a specific dispute or sequence of events that would explain why the attacker targeted members of his own family.
Family members and acquaintances described the victims as people whose lives were closely connected to their neighbourhood and community.
Roberts, 37, was remembered as a mother of five who was engaged to be married. Friends said she volunteered with an organisation assisting people experiencing homelessness and had previously served on its board.
Nicole Eller, a family friend, said Roberts regularly visited the residence to help Angelina Stone during her pregnancy. The relationship placed Roberts close to the family in the days before the shooting.
Roberts had also publicly expressed concern about gun violence in Erie. In a social media post earlier this year, she called for greater care and compassion within the community following previous shootings.
Her death has been especially painful for people who knew her through volunteer work and community assistance. Friends have described her as someone who devoted time to helping others and maintaining close relationships with neighbours.
Tanner, 51, also lived at a different address from the shooting scene. Investigators have not publicly established the full circumstances that brought her to the home immediately before she was killed.
The shooting has prompted an outpouring of grief across Erie, a city on the southern shore of Lake Erie approximately 120 miles north of Pittsburgh.
Residents gathered outside the house over the weekend, placing flowers, candles, stuffed animals and other memorial items near the property. The tributes reflected the particular shock surrounding the deaths of the children and the pregnant woman.
At the memorial, relatives and neighbours embraced one another and shared memories of the victims. The gathering also provided a place for community members to express grief while police continued their investigation.
The deaths of the two children have intensified the emotional impact of the attack. The younger child had only recently begun life, while her older brother was five years old. Their mother was preparing to give birth to another child within days.
The coroner's announcement identified six adults but did not officially release the children's names, although Amarianna's father publicly identified her.
Authorities have also confirmed that the gunman died at the scene, bringing the total number of people found dead to nine, including the attacker.
The distinction between the eight homicide victims and the gunman's suicide is important in reporting the death toll. The coroner's findings and police statements establish that eight people were killed by the attacker before he took his own life.
Investigators are continuing to examine available evidence, including recordings, witness accounts and communications involving the victims. Police have not announced that anyone else was involved in the attack.
The case has renewed public concern about mass shootings and violence within families, particularly incidents in which children and other vulnerable relatives are killed inside their own homes.
Although investigators have mentioned the possibility of mental health issues, specialists caution that the causes of mass violence cannot be established without a thorough examination of the individual's circumstances and the available evidence. Authorities have not announced findings sufficient to explain the attack.
For the families, the immediate concern remains mourning the victims and arranging funerals while the investigation proceeds.
Community organisations and residents have offered support to those affected, and local officials have acknowledged the profound impact of the killings on the city.
The tragedy has also raised questions about whether warning signs existed before the attack and whether anyone outside the household was aware of an unfolding emergency. Police have not established that the shooting could have been anticipated or prevented.
The investigation into the actions of the two women who arrived at the residence may help clarify the final moments of the attack, but detectives have not released conclusions about their reasons for approaching the property.
As the names of the victims become public, attention has shifted from the initial police response to the lives lost and the families left behind.
Michelle Stone, Angelina Stone, Jonathan Stone, Matthew Stone, Lora Roberts and Twila Tanner were identified by authorities on Monday, while the two children were remembered by relatives and neighbours who gathered at the memorial.
The coroner's findings provide a clearer account of the victims, but the central question of why the gunman carried out the attack remains unanswered.
Police say their investigation is continuing, with further information expected as detectives review evidence and speak with surviving relatives.
For Erie, the identification of the victims marks another painful stage in the aftermath of the October 9 shooting, as a community mourns eight people whose lives ended in a single act of violence.