A 45-year-old man opened fire at a home in Erie, Pennsylvania, on Friday evening, killing nine people — including two young children and an unborn baby — before taking his own life, according to police. The father of one of the youngest victims has now identified the gunman as his daughter’s grandfather, the Associated Press reported.
Julius Windham told the AP that his 1-year-old daughter, Amarianna, was among those killed, and that her grandfather was the shooter. Windham’s pregnant partner, identified by friends and family as Angelina Stone, was also killed, along with her 5-year-old son and the couple’s unborn child. Stone was reportedly just days from her due date.
‘A Front for Him’
Windham said he had never seen the grandfather behave violently and described him as someone who came across as friendly — a characterization that has left him struggling to reconcile the man he thought he knew with what happened inside the home.
“I think that was a front for him,” Windham told the AP. “Him every day, him smiling and being just — you would think of nothing like that would happen.”
“Words can’t even explain what I’m going through right now,” he added. “But I gotta be strong for my community, you know what I’m saying? My family, my daughters, my sons, everybody.”
A family friend described Stone and her children to Erie News Now as “just beautiful,” recalling that she was on the verge of giving birth. The friend said Stone had a daughter who was almost 2 as well as her son, Isiah.
Police have not officially released the names of the victims or the attacker. The identities that have circulated publicly so far have come from family members, friends and the accounts of local residents.
Friends Say the Shooter ‘Started Going Downhill’
Nicole Eller, a friend of one of the people killed in the shooting, told the AP that the attacker “was a good guy” before his behavior changed. “Then he started going downhill with everything,” she said — a shift she did not elaborate on.
Another friend, Debra Eller, expressed shock at the scope of the attack and the family connections involved.
“They were a lovely family. Who would have thought this would ever happen?” she said. “Oh my gosh, this is so upsetting. This should have never happened to her or the kids or anybody. His grandchildren, his kids, how can you do that?”
Police Describe ‘Heartbreaking’ Scene
Erie Police Chief Rick Lorah acknowledged the severity of what officers encountered at the home, describing it as among the worst scenes the department has handled.
“I want to be candid with our community. This is one of the most difficult and heartbreaking scenes our officers and investigators have ever encountered,” Lorah said. “The loss of life is devastating, and the circumstances we are working through are deeply disturbing.”
The investigation remains in its early stages. Authorities have not publicly discussed a possible motive, and it is not yet clear what led to the shooting. The gunman died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound after the attack.
Friday’s shooting ranks among the deadliest incidents in Erie’s recent history and adds to a grim tally of mass shootings across the country this year. For the families involved, the aftermath is compounded by the fact that the violence unfolded inside a private home and, according to a victim’s father, crossed generational lines within a single family.
Windham, for his part, said he is leaning on his faith and his obligations to those who survived as he processes the loss of his daughter, his unborn child, and the partner he was preparing to welcome a new baby with.
“I gotta be strong for my community,” he said.
Source: www.dailywire.com — https://www.dailywire.com/news/gunman-who-killed-nine-in-house-shooting-idd-as-victims-grandpa