Aunt and Family Friend Rushed to Save Pregnant Woman in Pennsylvania Massacre — Both Were Shot Dead

Two women rushed to help a pregnant young mother after she reached out in fear, hoping to protect someone they loved. But their desperate attempt to intervene in a family emergency ended in tragedy when both women were killed in a mass shooting in Erie, Pennsylvania. The devastating attack claimed eight victims, including a pregnant woman who was just days away from giving birth, her two young children and several other members of her family.

According to police, 24-year-old Angelina Stone, who was eight months pregnant, made a Facebook video call to her aunt, Lora Roberts, 37, at approximately 4:39 p.m. on Friday, October 9, 2026. The call lasted around two minutes. Afterward, Roberts messaged her niece to say she was on her way to help. She also contacted a relative who lived near the Stone family’s home, warning that Angelina was in trouble.

Roberts did not go alone. She was accompanied by family friend Twila Tanner, 51, as the two women hurried to the residence on Perry Street. Investigators said video evidence and witness accounts showed the women arriving in an apparently distressed state and seeking help from nearby neighbors. Their arrival came less than half an hour before police responded to reports of a shooting at the property.

According to Erie Police Chief Rick Lorah, investigators believe the violence began inside the home. After allegedly shooting members of his family, 45-year-old Matthew Stone Sr. went outside, where Roberts and Tanner were fatally shot. Both women were found dead outside the residence when officers arrived. Police believe they had rushed to the scene in response to Angelina’s call for help, unaware of the danger they were about to face.

The two women were among eight people killed by Stone Sr. before he died by suicide. The other victims included his wife, 44-year-old Michelle Stone; their sons, Jonathan Stone, 19, and Matthew Stone Jr., 21; and Angelina’s children, 5-year-old Isiah Hudges and 1-year-old Amari’anna Stone. Angelina was also killed, along with her unborn baby, who was expected to arrive within days. The scale of the loss devastated relatives and left the surrounding community struggling to understand how an entire family could be destroyed in a single incident.

As investigators examined the circumstances behind the massacre, police revealed troubling details about the family’s home life. Chief Lorah said Matthew Sr. had allegedly exercised severe control over relatives for years, increasingly isolating them from extended family and restricting how often they could see other people. He was also reportedly in control of family finances. Investigators said Angelina had told others that she planned to leave the family after giving birth. A year before the shooting, she had reportedly attempted to change her last name so she could distance herself from her father and pursue a medical career without being associated with him.

Police also described the home as being in an extremely poor condition when officers entered. Investigators reportedly found large bottles filled with urine, malfunctioning plumbing and drug paraphernalia. Family members had previously raised concerns about Stone Sr.’s alleged substance abuse. Authorities have continued investigating the events leading up to the shooting, while cautioning that the precise motive behind the killings remains unclear.

For Tanner’s family, her death represents the loss of someone remembered for her kindness and willingness to help others. At a vigil, her daughter, Aniecia Al-Amiri, described her mother as a caring woman who wanted to help a family friend and lost her life in the process. Roberts, a mother of five, was also remembered by loved ones as a devoted family member who responded when her niece needed her. Their final actions reflected the concern they felt for Angelina, but they never made it safely back home.

The tragedy in Erie has left families mourning mothers, children, siblings and friends whose lives were cut short. Among the most heartbreaking details is that Angelina had reached out for help just minutes before the violence escalated, and the two women who answered her call became victims themselves. As investigators continue piecing together what happened, the community is left remembering Roberts and Tanner not only for how they died, but for the compassion that led them to the home that afternoon.

Source: PEOPLE