Isiah Hodges Stone was a bright, happy five-year-old boy living in Erie, Pennsylvania. He was part of a large, multi-generational family and was looking forward to the arrival of a new baby brother, who was to be named Kyrie. Isiah had a 22-month-old little sister named Amari’anna, and he was deeply loved by his mother, Angelina Stone, and his extended family.
The unimaginable happened on Friday, October 9, 2026.
A day of anticipation for the family turned into one of profound tragedy inside their home on Perry Street. Isiah, his little sister, and his eight-months-pregnant mother were all shot and killed. The person responsible was identified by police and family as Isiah’s own grandfather, 45-year-old Matthew Stone. In a horrific act of violence, the family patriarch murdered nine people, including his own children, grandchildren, and wife, before turning the gun on himself.
The violence extended beyond the immediate family. Isiah’s grandmother, Michelle Stone, 44, and his uncles, Matthew Stone Jr., 21, and Jonathan Stone, 19, were also killed in the home. The tragedy escalated when two women, concerned after not hearing from the family, arrived at the residence to check on them. Michelle’s sister, Lora Roberts, 37, and a family friend, Twila Tanner, 51, were both shot and killed by Matthew Stone as they approached the house. Surveillance footage reportedly captured the women appearing distressed and trying to get help just before they were confronted by the gunman.
When officers from the Erie Police Department arrived at the Perry Street home, they discovered a devastating scene. Isiah and his little sister Amari'anna were found on the first floor. Four other adult victims were located in a stairwell leading to the second floor. The gunman, Matthew Stone, was found deceased from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. A handgun registered to him was recovered at the scene. In total, ten people lost their lives, including the shooter and Angelina's unborn son, Kyrie.
In the wake of the tragedy, the Erie community and the victims' extended family were left reeling. A candlelight vigil was held the following Saturday night to honor the nine lives that were so violently taken. The community rallied to support the shattered families left behind, creating several online fundraisers to help with funeral costs and provide for the surviving children of Lora Roberts and Twila Tanner. One fundraiser, organized for the funerals of Angelina, Isiah, Amari'anna, and the unborn baby Kyrie, noted that the family had no money prepared for such an unexpected and immense loss.
As of October 2026, the investigation by the Erie Police Department remained ongoing, though the perpetrator was deceased. Police had not publicly announced a motive for the mass murder-suicide that decimated three generations of a single family. The case is considered closed as the primary suspect died at the scene. The community continues to mourn the loss of Isiah, his sister, his mother, and the seven other innocent victims whose lives were cut short in one of Pennsylvania's most tragic domestic violence incidents.
