A shooting in the city of Erie, Pennsylvania on Friday killed nine people, Governor Josh Shapiro said. Police confirmed the suspect was among the nine dead.
Local media reported that two children were among the victims. The attack took place at a home in Erie, a city about 188 km (117 miles) north of Pittsburgh.
According to Erie News Now, Erie city police received reports of gunfire at about 5 p.m. local time (2100 GMT) on Friday. When officers arrived, they found two women dead in the street.
The attacker then barricaded himself inside the house. Police surrounded the building and ordered him to come out. More gunshots were heard during the standoff, Erie News Now reported.
When officers entered, they found more victims around the home, including two children. The gunman was found dead from what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to police information cited by Erie News Now.
The outlet also said officers who responded to the scene are receiving counseling support after the horrific incident.
"I've never seen anything like this in more than 28 years on the job," Erie Police Chief Rick Lorah told a local television station on Saturday. "I'm not sure the city of Erie has ever seen the loss of life and destruction that we just saw."
Lorah declined to provide further details but described the circumstances of the shooting as "extremely disturbing."
On Saturday, Governor Shapiro said he had asked state authorities to give "full" support to Erie Mayor Daria Devlin.
Mass shootings occur frequently in the United States, where the number of guns far exceeds the population and efforts to tighten firearms regulations run into fierce political and legal obstacles.
