DeAnna Poole and Briaunna Malone
3 hours ago
Erie, Pa (WJET/WFXP)– It’s the start of a new beginning on Erie’s east side at the site of that Perry Street mass shooting that claimed the lives of nine victims on Friday, October 9.
That shooting is the largest mass killing since 1975 in Erie and for weeks, the community has been doing their best to heal and recover from that tragedy.
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As previously reported on JET Action News, there are currently no future plans for this site, but people have suggested that it’s turned into some sort of memorial.
The rubble that remains after city officials tore down the site of what Erie Police Chief Rick Lorah called a devastating loss of life the day that nine people were gunned down by a family patriarch.
Neighbors stood watch as crews used an excavator to tear down the home at 722 Perrty Street.
“With the tragic events a few weeks ago and the need to get this house, basically because of the condition of it, which we certainly worked through every avenue to try to get acquisition,” said Aaron Snippert, executive director of the Redevelopment Authority of the City of Erie. “Fortunately, we were able to get a deed in lieu of condemnation action against the property, so we’re going to demolish the property and restore the site to a grass lot.”
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That’s where police said Matthew Stone Sr. took the lives of his wife Michelle Stone, pregnant daughter, Angelina Stone, two sons Matthew and Jonathan Stone and two grandchildren Amari’anna and Isiah, before exiting the home and killing his sister-in-law Lora Roberts and family friend, Twila Tanner.
According to police, he then returned inside and turned the gun on himself. The Erie community has mourned the loss of the nine victims, including Angelina Stone’s unborn baby, who was to be named “Kyrie.”
Neighbors in the area noted that the boarded-up structure served as a constant reminder of the attack. Dennis Flippin, a local neighbor who witnessed part of the shooting, recalled the initial moments of the tragedy. “I heard the shots in the house and I thought they were firecrackers at first,” Flippin said. “Then when he came out the house and shot the other two girls, that’s when I knew it wasn’t firecrackers. I came around the corner there and seen the one girl laying out here.”
Flippin reflected on the impact of removing the building from the neighborhood. “It will take a lot of memories away from these people here,” Flippin said. Area residents expressed hope that removing the house would help the community in its healing process.
Crews will finish clearing the property and restore the location to a grass lot.
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Following the shooting, City of Erie Mayor Daria Devlin met with her team to discuss new safety requirements that the city will explore going forward for property owners and tenants.
The five main takeaways include requiring inspections for all rental properties and for any property deemed uninhabitable before the notice can be removed, providing police with a list of those properties and having inspectors go through mandated child abuse reporter training and creating a process for house tenants.
According to the spokesperson for the City of Erie, this home was voted on and approved for blight designation by the blighted property review committee.
Community members hope tearing down the house here on Perry Street will bring the family and neighbors the closure they need.