A pregnant Pennsylvania mother who was just days away from welcoming her third child was among eight people killed in a devastating family shooting that also claimed the lives of her two young children.
Angelina Stone, 24, was preparing to give birth to a baby boy named Kyrie when gunfire erupted inside a home in Erie, Pennsylvania, on Friday, October 9.
Her 5-year-old son, Isiah, and 1-year-old daughter, Amari’anna, were also killed. Stone’s unborn baby, who was due October 14, did not survive.
The suspected gunman, a 45-year-old man identified by relatives as the children’s grandfather, also died from what investigators believe was a self-inflicted gunshot wound, bringing the total number of deaths to nine.
According to Erie Police Chief Richard Lorah, officers were dispatched to a residence near East Seventh and Perry streets shortly before 5 p.m. after a gunshot detection system alerted authorities to possible gunfire.
Police arrived within minutes and discovered two women, ages 51 and 37, dead outside the home.
Investigators later reviewed surveillance footage showing the women arriving at the property, apparently realizing something was wrong and desperately trying to get help from neighbors.
The recording captured what sounded like gunshots coming from inside the residence before the suspect emerged and fatally shot both women.
When officers entered the house, they discovered six additional victims and the suspected gunman.
Stone and several other adult victims were found on the second floor and stairwell, while her two children were discovered on the first floor.
The other victims included two young men, ages 19 and 21, and a 44-year-old woman.
Authorities confirmed that seven of the eight people killed were related to the suspected shooter. The eighth victim was a family friend.
Julius Windham, the father of Stone’s daughter Amari’anna, told reporters that the suspected gunman was his child’s grandfather.
The tragedy has devastated relatives and neighbors who knew Stone as a devoted mother eagerly awaiting the arrival of her baby.
Family friend Lisa Simmers told CBS News that Stone’s two children were on the autism spectrum and described them as innocent youngsters who had done nothing to deserve such violence.
Speaking with Erie News Now, Simmers remembered Stone’s family with heartbreaking affection.
“She was pregnant, about to have her baby in a couple of days,” she said, recalling the young mother and her two children. She described them as a beautiful family whose lives were taken far too soon.
Simmers also spoke about the helplessness of being nearby while the shooting unfolded, unaware of the full extent of what was happening inside the house.
Relatives have since launched a GoFundMe fundraiser to help cover funeral expenses for Stone, Isiah, Amari’anna and unborn baby Kyrie.
The family explained that the sudden loss has left them facing overwhelming emotional and financial challenges, with several funerals to arrange in a matter of weeks.
Meanwhile, investigators are continuing to examine evidence to determine what prompted the attack.
Police have recovered a handgun believed to have been used in the killings and are reviewing cellphone records and interviewing relatives.
Authorities have not established a motive, and they have urged the public to avoid spreading speculation about the family.
Erie officials also clarified that all nine deaths occurred before police reached the property, contradicting early suggestions that shots were exchanged during a prolonged standoff.
Chief Lorah described the crime scene as one of the most difficult he had encountered during his law enforcement career.
“Some scenes stay with you long after you leave them,” he said. “This is one of those tragic scenes.”
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and Erie Mayor Daria Devlin offered condolences to the grieving families as the community began organizing memorials and support for those affected.
For Stone’s loved ones, the loss is especially painful because the family had been preparing to celebrate a birth rather than arrange funerals.
What should have been the beginning of a joyful new chapter ended in the loss of a young mother, her two children and the baby boy she was only days away from meeting.
