Lora Roberts and Twila Tanner Identified after Erie Tragedy — What They Did in Their Final Moments

Lora Roberts and Twila Tanner went to a Pennsylvania home hoping to protect someone they loved. Neither woman made it out alive.

The two friends were among nine people killed in a devastating shooting in Erie on October 9. Now, heartbreaking details have emerged about the courageous act that brought them to the scene of the massacre.

Roberts, 37, was a devoted mother of five who had been engaged to her fiancé for 14 years. Tanner, 51, was a mother and grandmother whose loved ones are now struggling to come to terms with her sudden death.

But their grieving families have revealed a chilling connection between the women and the household at the center of the tragedy — one that sheds new light on why the friends were there in the first place.

Mother of Five Among Victims of Erie Massacre

The New York Post identified Roberts and Tanner as friends, citing online fundraisers established in the wake of their deaths.

Roberts' GoFundMe campaign paints a heartbreaking picture of a loving mother, daughter, fiancée, family member, and friend whose life was tragically cut short. The 37-year-old left behind five children and her fiancé, Jeremy, to whom she had been engaged for 14 years.

The fundraiser had collected $11,166 toward its $15,000 goal when the supplied figures were gathered. The donations will help cover funeral expenses, support her five children, and ease the financial burden left by the loss of her income.

But Roberts' compassion extended far beyond her own family. According to a Facebook post honoring her life, she previously served on the Board of Directors for Community of Caring, an Erie nonprofit that provides food and shelter to people experiencing homelessness.

Heartbroken Friends Remember a 'Beautiful Soul'

As news of Roberts' death spread, those who knew her began sharing emotional tributes to the woman they had lost.

MaryAnn Aviles-Lewis remembered Roberts as a friend and "beautiful soul" in a Facebook tribute, offering prayers for her grieving family, especially her five children.

Another friend, Shannon Roschi, shared a moving tribute that reflected on Roberts' fiancé, her children, and the patients whose lives she had touched.

"Lora Roberts you were one of the most beautiful souls literally, I've probably ever met..." Roschi wrote. Roberts' Facebook profile has remained publicly accessible following her death, offering another reminder of the life she left behind.

Twila Tanner's Family Faces Life Without Her

For Tanner's devastated family, the tragedy has left children and grandchildren mourning a woman they loved. Her GoFundMe campaign reveals that she left behind children and grandchildren, including adolescent children who must now face life without their mother.

The fundraiser had raised $2,068 toward its $10,000 goal when the figures were collected. Donations will help pay for Tanner's funeral and provide much-needed care and support for her children. Her niece, Alissa Sue, expressed the family's anguish in an emotional Facebook post.

"Last night we lost my aunt Twila due to the tragic shooting that happened last night may she rest in peace she was loved by many prayers out to my cousins who lost their mom to this horrific event," she wrote.

Alissa also extended her prayers to the other victims' loved ones, specifically acknowledging the family that had lost a mother and young children. But amid the outpouring of grief, a crucial detail emerged about what brought Roberts and Tanner to the home where they would lose their lives.

Friends' Brave Final Mission Revealed

The two women had not simply happened to be together on the day of the massacre. According to their families' fundraising campaigns, they were trying to save someone from danger.

Roberts' fundraiser reveals that the mother of five had gone to the home in an attempt to rescue her niece from an abusive man. And Tanner refused to let her friend face the situation alone.

Her fundraiser states that she was "bravely trying to help a friend protect her family from a violent and dangerous individual." The New York Post, citing both fundraising campaigns, reported that the friends had traveled to the Erie residence together in hopes of saving Roberts' niece.

Their final actions paint a heartbreaking picture: Roberts was trying to protect a vulnerable family member, while Tanner had accompanied her friend to help keep that family safe.

Tanner's fundraiser described her actions as an extraordinary display of "courage and selflessness." The revelations have added a deeply personal dimension to the police investigation into the horrifying events of October 9.

Nine Victims Found Dead Inside Pennsylvania Home

The bloodshed unfolded at a residence at 722 Perry Street in Erie, Pennsylvania, where authorities would uncover a devastating scene. According to NBC News, police were alerted shortly before 5 p.m. when the city's ShotSpotter system detected gunfire.

Nine victims were killed. Officers also discovered the suspected gunman, 45, dead at the property from what investigators determined was a self-inflicted gunshot wound. A .40-caliber handgun registered to the suspect was recovered on his person.

Police confirmed that eight of the nine victims were related, while the ninth was a family friend. Among those found inside the home were a five-year-old boy, a 22-month-old girl, a 24-year-old woman, a 44-year-old woman, a 19-year-old man, and a 21-year-old man.

In another devastating detail, the 24-year-old woman was eight months pregnant. Police Chief Rick Lorah explained that everyone found inside the residence lived there. Roberts and Tanner, however, did not.

Police Investigate What the Two Friends Knew

Investigators began piecing together the deadly timeline using surveillance footage, audio evidence, witness interviews, and other material. Authorities also planned to examine Roberts' and Tanner's cellphones to determine what the women may have known before arriving at the home.

According to GoErie, Lorah believed the friends had some indication that something was wrong at the residence. "They must have known that something was going on," he said. "They didn't contact us, so we don't know what that is yet."

While police continued investigating what the women knew, their families' fundraising campaigns explained their presence: They had gone there to help Roberts' niece escape an abusive situation.

Officers Encountered Eerie Silence at the Scene

When responding officers arrived at the Perry Street home, the gunfire had stopped. There were no sounds of activity coming from inside. Lorah described the disturbing silence that greeted police.

"No movement. No audible sounds coming from inside the residence. No gunshots. No screams," he said. With no way to immediately determine what was happening inside, officers faced the possibility that an armed threat remained in the residence.

Police deployed drones to assess the situation before SWAT officers breached several doors. A robot was also sent inside, eventually locating multiple victims before officers entered the home.

Investigators later determined that all nine victims and the suspected gunman were already dead before police arrived. Because eight of the victims were related, authorities began treating the massacre as a domestic incident.

But the question of what drove the suspected killer to such violence remained unanswered. "I think mental health is at play here, but I think it is too soon to really go into a motive," Lorah said.

Pregnant Mother and Her Two Young Children Among the Dead

As authorities worked through the formal identification and notification process, grieving relatives and fundraising campaigns began revealing the identities of some of the victims.

Among them was Angelina Stone, 24, who was eight months pregnant when she was killed. Fox News reported that Stone and her two young children had all died in the shooting.

A GoFundMe campaign created to cover their funeral expenses identified the children as Isiah and Amari'anna. Stone's unborn baby had already been given the name Kyrie. The fundraiser had collected $34,667 toward its $40,000 goal, according to the supplied figures.

Its organizer revealed that the family had no money saved for the unexpected funeral expenses and just two weeks to arrange the services. The donations were intended to go directly to Amari'anna's father to help cover the costs.

Angelina Stone Was Just Days Away From Giving Birth

The circumstances surrounding Stone's death became even more heartbreaking as details of her pregnancy emerged. According to CBS Pittsburgh, the expectant mother was just four days away from her due date.

Lisa Simmers also spoke about the devastating loss during an interview with Erie News Now, explaining that Stone had been expected to welcome her baby "in a couple days."

"She was pregnant, about to have her baby in a couple days. And she had a daughter that was almost two, and her son Isaiah, who I believe was like four or five, and they were all just beautiful, beautiful children, and definitely did not deserve what happened to them," Simmers said.

Her words captured the enormity of a tragedy that had claimed the lives of a young mother, her two children, and the unborn baby she was preparing to welcome.

Grieving Father Breaks Down Over His Little Girl

For Josiah Alexander Ezekiel, the loss was painfully personal. His young daughter, Amari'anna Renee Windham, was among those killed. Speaking publicly about his heartbreak, the devastated father struggled with the reality that his little girl was gone.

"My baby, bro, and you just took her," he said. He then spoke tenderly about the daughter whose life had been cut short. "Her name is Amari'anna Renee Windham, y'all. You know, she she's the most beautifulest baby I could have created."

The grieving father also revealed that he had already been struggling with depression and had survived a homicide in Erie in December 2022. Another father, Julius Windham, shared his anguish at a memorial, according to Newsweek.

"Words can't even explain what I'm going through right now," he said. "But I gotta be strong for my community, you know what I'm saying? My family, my daughters, my sons, everybody."

Governor and Mayor Mourn the Lives Lost

As the Erie community grappled with the scale of the killings, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro reached out to Erie Mayor Daria Devlin.

In a statement shared on X, Shapiro said he had spoken with the mayor and offered his administration's full support to the grieving city. "My heart breaks for this family. Lori and I are praying for their loved ones and the entire Erie community," he wrote.

Devlin later appeared alongside Lorah and Erie County District Attorney Elizabeth Hirz at a news conference addressing the investigation. Speaking directly to the families whose lives had been shattered, the mayor expressed her sorrow.

"I want to start by speaking directly to the families who lost loved ones last night. I am so deeply sorry," Devlin said. The shock also rippled through friendships that had lasted decades.

Nicole and Debra Eller told The Philadelphia Inquirer that their best friend was among those killed. The women had known the family for more than 30 years. "They were a lovely family. Who would have thought this would ever happen?" Debra said.

Two Friends' Final Act Leaves a Lasting Legacy

As investigators continue searching for answers about what triggered the deadly violence, the fundraising campaigns have revealed the lives and sacrifices behind two of the victims' names.

Roberts was a devoted mother of five, a fiancée of 14 years, and a compassionate community volunteer who had dedicated time to helping people experiencing homelessness.

Tanner was a beloved mother and grandmother whose children and grandchildren must now navigate life without her. But beyond the grief, their families have shared one final, heartbreaking detail about the friends' last hours.

Roberts had gone to the home hoping to save her niece from an abusive man. Tanner went with her to help. The two women had set out together to protect someone else — a courageous final act that ended in unimaginable tragedy.