Brady Responds to Shooting in Erie, Pennsylvania

WASHINGTON, D.C., October 13, 2026 — In the wake of the mass shooting in Erie, Pennsylvania, that left eight people dead, Brady, the nation’s oldest gun violence prevention organization, is honoring the lives of the victims and calling for greater action to end the deadly cycle of domestic violence and gun access. Six victims, all related to the shooter, were found inside their home: Michelle Stone, 44; Angelina K. Stone, 24, who was pregnant; Matthew Stone Jr., 21; Jonathan Stone, 19; and two unidentified children ages five and two. Two friends of the family, Twila A. Tanner, 51, and Lora Lee Roberts, 37, were shot and killed just outside. 

Brady President Kris Brown released the following statement: 

My heart breaks for everyone impacted by this horrific shooting. Every domestic violence homicide is a tragic reminder that when firearms are accessible, domestic violence can turn deadly in seconds. Instead of marketing that having a gun will make you instantly safe, we must advance evidence-based solutions that protect survivors and entire communities. That means strengthening domestic violence restraining orders to ensure firearms are appropriately relinquished, expanding extreme risk protection orders, closing gaps in the law that leave survivors of non-married partners vulnerable, and raising awareness about the risks firearms pose in domestic violence situations. 

These tragedies are not inevitable. We owe it to every family and community to do everything in our power to keep guns out of the hands of abusers and prevent such devastating losses.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month — a time to recognize the devastating impact of domestic violence and recommit to protecting survivors and their families. When a firearm is present, domestic violence can quickly turn deadly. Every 12 hours, someone in the U.S. is shot and killed by a current or former intimate partner and firearms are used in the vast majority of family homicides. Children face unique risks, accounting for 40% of all domestic violence shooting victims. For gun homicides involving children under age 13, 85% occur in the home and nearly one-third are connected to intimate partner or family violence.