Full Breakdown
Fatal Family Shooting in Erie, Pennsylvania
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event
On Friday, October 9, 2026, Matthew Stone Sr., 45, opened fire at his home, 722 Perry Street, Erie. He killed eight people inside the house—including his wife Michelle, 44; his pregnant daughter Angelina K., 24; his sons Matthew Jr., 21, and Jonathan, 19; and two grandchildren, a 5-year-old boy and a 22-month-old girl. Two women who arrived at the residence, Lora Lee Roberts, 37 (the shooter’s sister-in-law), and Twila A. Tanner, 51, were shot outside. Stone then turned the gun on himself. Police were first alerted by the city’s ShotSpotter system at 4:52 p.m., arrived within minutes, and entered the home at 7:12 p.m. after confirming the interior was silent.
Background & Context
Family members described a long-standing pattern of control by Stone, who managed household finances and dictated when relatives could leave or receive visitors. Relatives said his controlling behavior intensified after his wife’s first pregnancy more than twenty years earlier. In 2019, Stone was arrested for threatening his wife with the same .40-caliber handgun used in the October 9 killings; the charges were withdrawn after his wife changed her statement. No other domestic-violence reports were filed, and investigators found no criminal record for Stone.
Data & Statistics
- Total victims: 10 (including the shooter)
- Victims inside the home: 8 (six adults, two children)
- Victims shot outside: 2 (Roberts and Tanner)
- Ages of adult victims: 44, 24, 21, 19, 37, 51
- Weapon: .40-caliber handgun, legally possessed by Stone
- Home conditions: non-functioning shower, toilet, and kitchen sink; numerous 2-liter bottles filled with urine; described as “extremely filthy.”
Official Statements & Responses
Erie Police Chief Rick Lorah provided a timeline, noting that Angelina called her aunt Lora Roberts at 4:39 p.m.; Roberts arrived with Tanner within ten minutes. Lorah said the first gunshots detected were likely those fired outside the house and that investigators could not determine a definitive motive.
Mayor Daria Devlin said the city will review how social-service and health-care systems interact with families experiencing isolation and domestic abuse. She urged community members to look for signs of struggling families and pledged ongoing support for victims’ relatives.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Detectives described the home as extremely filthy,” — Rick Lorah, Erie police chief
- “We cannot establish what role, if any, mental health or substance use played in the shooting,” — Rick Lorah, Erie police chief
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Authorities have not established why Stone carried out the killings. While family members reported concerns about his mental health and possible drug use, police have found no medical records confirming a diagnosis and cannot determine any influence of substance use. The investigation also lacks clarity on the exact sequence of events inside the home between Angelina’s final messages and the onset of gunfire.
Why It Matters
The tragedy underscores the challenges of identifying and intervening in domestic-violence situations that occur behind closed doors. It raises questions about reporting mechanisms, monitoring firearm ownership by individuals with a history of threats, and the capacity of community services to detect severe family isolation.
*All information is drawn from statements and findings released by Erie Police Chief Rick Lorah and Mayor Daria Devlin, as reported in local news outlets.*