Pregnant woman was days away from giving birth when she was among 9 killed in Pennsylvania shooting

NEED TO KNOW

• Angelina Stone was among nine people killed in a mass shooting in Pennsylvania on Friday, October 9.

• A family friend said Stone was just days away from giving birth.

• Investigators believe the suspect died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound during the incident, in which two children also died.

A pregnant woman was among nine people killed in a mass shooting in Pennsylvania.

Angelina Stone and her relatives were identified as victims of the shooting at a home in Erie, Pennsylvania around 5 p.m. local time on Friday, October 9, according to CBS News.

The outlet reported that Stone was just four days away from giving birth. The victims also included his two children, his brothers and a friend.

Family friend Lisa Simmers told CBS News, “Both of his babies were on the spectrum. Innocent children couldn’t have reported this man if they wanted to, and he still killed them.”

She added: “It’s mind-blowing to me to understand what was happening in that house while we were outside. The feeling of helplessness and knowing there was nothing we could do and there she was.”

Simmers told Erie News Now that Stone had a “beautiful” family.

“She was pregnant, she was going to have her baby in a few days. She had a daughter who was almost two and her son Isiah, who I think was four or five, and they were all just beautiful. Beautiful children. And they definitely didn’t deserve what happened to them,” the friend said.

A GoFundMe has been set up to raise money for Stone and her children’s funerals. The fundraiser identifies Stone’s children as son Isiah, daughter Amari’anna and unborn baby Kyrie.

“We don’t have any funds ready to cover this loss, and we only have two weeks from today to get it all done. Funds from this fundraiser will go toward funeral expenses and costs related to final arrangements so they can be sent properly. This is more than our family can handle alone right now, and we really need the community to rally around us,” the fundraiser’s description reads.

PEOPLE contacted the Erie County Sheriff’s Office on Sunday, October 11, but did not immediately receive a response.

A press release on Saturday, October 10 stated that police arrived on scene within minutes of receiving the alert.

The nine deaths occurred before the arrival of the police, according to the investigation. There were no further shots fired after police arrived.

“Our thoughts remain with the victims, their loved ones and all those impacted by this devastating loss of life,” the City of Erie said in the release.

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Police Chief Richard Lorah later said at a news conference that police found two women deceased outside the residence minutes after arriving.

“Video evidence reviewed by investigators shows these two women arriving at the residence, hearing distress, asking neighbors for help and knocking on the door. The audio video also appears to capture muffled gunshots from inside the residence before the suspect emerges and fatally shoots both women,” he said.

Based on the evidence available so far, investigators believe the suspect died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

The nine people who died included eight family members and one family friend.

Lorah also said one of the victims was “eight months pregnant.”

The victims included a 51-year-old woman and a 37-year-old woman found outside the residence; a 5-year-old boy and a 1-year-old girl were found on the first floor, as well as a 24-year-old woman, a 44-year-old woman, a 19-year-old man and a 21-year-old man on the second floor and in the stairwell.

The suspected shooter, a 45-year-old man, was found dead on the second floor with a gun.

“Some scenes stay with you long after you leave them. It’s one of those tragic scenes,” Lorah said.

Read the original article on People