At just 22 months old, Amarianna Ra’nae Stone was a beautiful little girl whose life was just beginning. Her father, Juicesiyah Ezekiel, remembers her as "the most beautiful baby God could have created." Amarianna, her 5-year-old brother Isiah Hodges, and their 24-year-old mother, Angelina Stone, were a young family with a future full of promise.
Angelina was eight months pregnant and just days away from welcoming a baby boy she planned to name Kyrie.
The family's life was tragically cut short on Friday, October 9, 2026, in a horrific act of violence that claimed the lives of three generations. The tragedy unfolded at a home on Perry Street in Erie, Pennsylvania, where they lived with Amarianna's grandparents and uncles. That afternoon, Amarianna's maternal grandfather, 45-year-old Matthew Stone, shot and killed nine people before taking his own life. Police later revealed that Matthew Stone had a history of controlling and abusive behavior toward his family.
The victims inside the home included Amarianna, her brother Isiah, her mother Angelina, and her unborn brother Kyrie. Also killed were her grandmother, 44-year-old Michelle Stone, and her uncles, 21-year-old Matthew Stone Jr. and 19-year-old Jonathan Stone. Investigators believe they were killed before police were alerted to the scene. Neighboring doorbell camera footage captured the sound of faint gunshots coming from inside the residence. Shortly after, two women arrived at the home after receiving a distress call from Angelina.
The two women, Michelle Stone's sister, Lora Roberts, 37, and a family friend, Twila Tanner, 51, were seen on surveillance video pounding on the door, appearing distressed. Matthew Stone then emerged from the house and shot both women outside before going back inside. Police received a gunshot detection alert at 4:52 p.m. and responded to the scene, which then became a standoff. Believing the gunman was barricaded inside, SWAT officers eventually breached the home around 7:12 p.m.
Erie Police officers discovered a horrific scene inside. Amarianna and her brother Isiah were found deceased on the first floor. The bodies of their mother, grandmother, and uncles were found on or near the stairwell to the second floor. Matthew Stone was found on the second floor with a self-inflicted gunshot wound and a handgun registered to him nearby. The case was closed with the death of the primary suspect.
In the days that followed, the Erie community mourned the immense loss. A candlelight vigil was held the Saturday after the shooting, where family and friends gathered, sharing tears and prayers. GoFundMe campaigns were established to help the families of the victims with funeral expenses. One fundraiser, organized for Angelina and her three children, was coordinated with Amarianna's father, Juicesiyah Ezekiel. The investigation, as of October 2026, was ongoing, though police had not announced an official motive for the devastating massacre.
