A shooting in a residential area of Erie, Pennsylvania, left nine dead including the suspected shooter and rocked the city. Police said two children and a pregnant woman were among the dead.
Authorities have released few details, though the city issued a statement that it said was intended to clear up inaccurate information that circulated following the shooting Friday.
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Officers arrived within minutes of receiving an alert via ShotSpotter, a controversial gunshot detection system that relies on artificial intelligence and a network of microphones to identify gunshots. All nine deaths occurred before officers arrived, the city said, and no additional shots were fired after that.
“Sounds heard during the police response that may have been mistaken for gunfire were flash bangs associated with law enforcement's tactical response,” the city said.
A news conference was scheduled for Saturday afternoon.
“I have not seen anything like this in my 28-plus years,” Police Chief Rick Lorah told a local news station. “I’m not sure that the city of Erie has ever seen the loss of life and the devastation that we just witnessed.”
Gov. Josh Shapiro said he offered his administration's “full support” to Erie Mayor Daria Devlin.
Erie is about 120 miles (190 kilometers) north of Pittsburgh.
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This story corrects that the total number of people found dead — nine — includes the suspected shooter.
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Jacqueline GaNun is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
