A man from Pennsylvania, USA, killed eight people, including two children and a pregnant woman, and then allegedly committed suicide

Eight people, including a pregnant woman and two children, were killed in a shooting attack carried out Friday evening at a home in Erie, Pennsylvania. The suspected perpetrator, a 45-year-old man, was found dead on the second floor of the house from an apparently self-inflicted wound before police arrived at the scene.

Police were alerted at around 5:00 p.m. local time after gunshots were reported. Witnesses said they saw an armed man in front of the property before he entered the house. Officers discovered two women fatally shot in the street, while inside they found six other victims, including a five-year-old boy and a one-year-old girl.

According to police, eight of the victims were members of the same family, while one was a family friend. Images analyzed by investigators show that the two women arrived at the home in a state of panic, knocked on the door, and tried to alert the neighbors. Authorities believe the suspect came out of the house, spoke with them, and then opened fire.

The motive for the attack has not been established. Erie Police Chief Rick Lorah said the suspect was known to authorities and had a criminal record, and that mental health problems may have played a role. Mayor Daria Devlin explained that authorities delayed the public announcement in order to notify the victims' relatives first.

According to the Gun Violence Archive, the attack in Erie is at least the 19th mass shooting recorded in the U.S. this year and one of more than 500 such incidents reported since the beginning of January.