Erie Mass Shooting: Police Chief Says 'Mental Health Is at Play' as Coroner Names Gunman Who Killed Eight

Erie County coroner Lyell Cook on Monday named Matthew Stone Sr., 45, as the gunman who killed eight people in Erie, Pennsylvania. Seven were his relatives, including two young grandchildren. The city's police chief, Rick Lorah, said on Saturday he thinks 'mental health is at play here' but called it too soon to discuss motive.

Among the dead was Stone's daughter Angelina, who was eight months pregnant. He took his own life after Friday's Erie mass shooting. Lorah has not said what prompted his remark, which came before any finding on motive. Researchers say few violent acts trace back to mental illness.

What Happened on Perry Street

Police said a neighbour's doorbell camera appeared to capture muffled gunfire in the house shortly before 5pm. Two women then arrived looking distressed, asked neighbours for help and pounded on the door. Stone came out and shot both of them as they ran towards him. He went back inside, and witnesses heard no further gunshots. A gunshot detector sent an alert at 4:53 pm. Police later said all the victims were dead before officers arrived.

Officers arrived within minutes but heard no movement and could not tell whether anyone there still posed a threat or held hostages. After a warrant came through at about 7:12 pm, tactical officers forced their way in through several doors and sent a robot in first. They found the two children on the ground floor. Four more victims lay upstairs in the stairwell, and investigators found Stone had died before officers arrived.

Who the Victims Were

Cook named the four adults killed inside. They were Michelle Stone, 44; Angelina Stone, 24, who was due to give birth on Monday; Jonathan Stone, 19; and Matthew Stone, 21. WJET reported, citing relatives, that Michelle was the gunman's wife and the other three were his children. Cook withheld the children's names under state law and told 19 News he counts Angelina's unborn son as a victim. Governor Josh Shapiro posted condolences on X, as shown below.

Twila Tanner, 51, and Lora Roberts, 37, both died on the street outside the house. Roberts, a mother of five with a fiancé, had rushed over to help her pregnant niece and neighbour, Angelina Stone, friends told reporters. In July, she urged her city on Facebook to 'do better' after a run of local shootings. Tanner, a family friend, was the only victim not related to the others, Lorah said.

What Police Have Said About a Motive

Erie's district attorney, Elizabeth Hirz, said spreading unconfirmed reports 'does not advance the investigation.' Detectives will question relatives and examine both women's phones. Research summarised by Duke psychiatry professor Jeffrey Swanson ties just 3 to 5 per cent of violent acts to mental illness. He wrote that 'most people with psychiatric disorders are never violent.'

Julius Windham, the father of the girl who died, said Stone was the family patriarch and never seemed distressed. 'I think that was a front for him,' Windham told the Associated Press. The chief, an officer for over 28 years, said he doubts Erie has ever seen such a loss of life.