ERIE, Pa. — Authorities on Monday released the identities of the victims and the gunman involved in a horrific mass shooting that claimed eight lives at an Erie home last Friday. The tragedy, which devastated a local family, has left the community searching for answers as investigators work to piece together the motive behind the violence.
Erie County Coroner Lyell Cook identified the shooter as 45-year-old Matthew Stone Sr. According to Erie Police Chief Rick Lorah, Stone took his own life inside the residence after the rampage.
The toll of the shooting is staggering, claiming seven members of the same family, including three generations. The adult victims were identified as Michelle Stone, 44; Angelina Stone, 24, who was tragically only hours away from her scheduled due date; Jonathan Stone, 19; and Matthew Stone, 21. Two other women who did not reside at the home, 37-year-old Lora Roberts and 51-year-old Twila Tanner, were also killed. State law currently prohibits the release of the names of two young children who perished: a 5-year-old boy and a 1-year-old girl.
Julius Windham, who attended a memorial service for the victims, identified the toddler as his daughter, Amarianna. He confirmed that Angelina Stone was the mother of both the 5-year-old boy and the toddler, noting that the gunman served as the family patriarch.
The chilling sequence of events was captured by audio and video evidence recovered by investigators. Chief Lorah stated that muffled gunshots were heard from inside the home just moments before two “distressed” women arrived and began pounding on the door. When they fled, the gunman emerged and shot them before retreating back into the house. Roberts and Tanner, identified as the two victims killed outside, were the only non-relatives among those who died.
Friends remembered Lora Roberts as a pillar of the community—a mother of five and a dedicated volunteer who served as a former board member for a group supporting the homeless. Poignantly, Roberts had taken to social media only weeks prior to the shooting to condemn violence in Erie.
“Erie we need to do better!!” Roberts wrote in a July 15 Facebook post. “Life is precious and it’s heartbreaking to see so much pain and violence. Check on the people you love, and always choose kindness.”
While Chief Lorah has not confirmed a specific motive, he pointed toward the gunman’s potential struggles with mental health as a possible factor. Investigators are continuing to interview surviving relatives and are currently reviewing the cellphones of the victims to gain further insight into the lead-up to the attack.
The city of Erie, located approximately 120 miles north of Pittsburgh, remains in deep mourning as it grapples with the scale of the massacre.
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