Angelina K. Stone, a 24-year-old woman with plans to pursue a career in medicine, was just days away from welcoming her third child. Known to some online as Dej Shanti, Angelina was eight months pregnant with a son she planned to name Kyrie. She was already a mother to a 5-year-old son, Isiah Hodges, and a 22-month-old daughter, Amari’anna Stone.
Angelina was concerned about her father's declining mental health and had recently been making plans to leave the family home after her baby was born. A year before her death, she had filed a petition to change her last name, expressing that she did not want her association with her father to impact her future career. In the days leading up to the tragedy, she sent messages indicating her father was kicking her and her brothers out of the residence and had been physically abusive toward them.
On the afternoon of Friday, October 9, 2026, a horrific act of violence unfolded at the family's home on Perry Street in Erie, Pennsylvania. Angelina, who was due to give birth the following Monday, called her aunt, Lora Lee Roberts, for a ride to the hospital. At 4:39 p.m., she contacted Roberts via Facebook Messenger, and her aunt replied that she was on her way. Roberts, 37, and her friend, 51-year-old Twila A. Tanner, arrived in a Honda SUV. As they got to the house, Angelina's father, 45-year-old Matthew Stone Sr., emerged and fatally shot both women outside the residence. Surveillance footage reportedly captured the women appearing distressed and seeking help just before the shots were fired.
Police were dispatched to the home at 4:53 p.m., arriving two minutes later to what was described as a rapidly developing situation. Unsure of what had occurred inside or if there were hostages, officers established a perimeter. At 7:12 p.m., they entered the home. Inside, they discovered a devastating scene. Angelina's two young children, Isiah and Amari’anna, were found on the first floor. In a stairwell leading to the second floor, police found the bodies of Angelina; her mother, Michelle Stone, 44; and her two brothers, Matthew Stone Jr., 21, and Jonathan Stone, 19. All had been shot and killed.
The gunman, Matthew Stone Sr., was found deceased from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. The weapon he used was a .40-caliber handgun that was registered to him. The Erie Police Department, led by Chief Rick Lorah, handled the investigation. During a news conference, Lorah revealed that Stone Sr. had a history of domestic violence and controlling behavior. Family members told detectives he controlled the family's finances and restricted their ability to leave the house or see other relatives, a pattern that had been going on for years and had worsened over time.
Investigators learned that the same handgun used in the mass shooting had been involved in a 2019 domestic violence incident where Stone Sr. was charged with making threats against his wife. However, the charges were withdrawn after Michelle Stone changed her original statement during a preliminary hearing. Outside of that incident, police had no other reports of domestic violence from the home, and Stone Sr. had no other criminal history, allowing him to legally possess the firearm. Detectives also found evidence of suspected substance abuse in the home and described the living conditions as "extremely filthy," with non-working plumbing and bottles of urine found throughout the house. In Angelina's bedroom, numerous belongings were found packed in bags and boxes, confirming her plans to leave.
In the wake of the tragedy, the community mourned the loss of nine lives, including Angelina's unborn son. A candlelight vigil was held the Saturday after the shooting. Several GoFundMe campaigns were created to help the families with funeral costs and to support the surviving children of Lora Roberts and Twila Tanner. One fundraiser was specifically organized for the funerals of Angelina, Isiah, Amari’anna, and Kyrie. Amari’anna’s father, Juicesiyah Alexander Ezekiel, told a local news station, “I wouldn’t even put this on my worst enemy, man. It’s sickening.”
The case was closed as a murder-suicide, with the primary suspect deceased. While the investigation provided a clearer picture of the volatile circumstances within the Perry Street home, Erie Police Chief Rick Lorah stated in October 2026 that a definitive motive for Matthew Stone Sr.'s actions could not be established. The investigation was considered ongoing, but no further police briefings were expected unless new information came to light.
