NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — A man shot and killed eight people, including two children, at a home in the United States (US) state of Pennsylvania before apparently taking his own life, local media reported.

Police in the city of Erie were called Friday around 5:00 pm to reports of shots fired and discovered two women dead in the street, the Erie News Now outlet said.

The shooter barricaded himself inside the home as police surrounded the building and ordered him to exit.

More gunshots were heard during the standoff, Erie News Now reported.

When police eventually entered the building they found several more victims around the home, including the two children. The deceased shooter had an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, the outlet said, citing police.

Erie News Now said that police officers who responded to the scene were being offered counseling over the horrifying incident.

Contacted by AFP, the Erie Police Department declined to comment or confirm the details. The mayor was expected to hold a press conference Saturday afternoon.

Mass shootings occur frequently in the United States, where guns vastly outnumber the population and efforts to increase firearm restrictions face steep political and legal hurdles.