Louisiana officials said Sunday that eight children were killed in a mass shooting sparked by a domestic dispute.
The children ranged in age from 1 to 14 years old, according to the Shreveport Police Department, rattling the northwestern Louisiana town of 180,000 residents. The deadly incident spanned three homes in Shreveport, where police responded early Sunday morning following reports of a domestic disturbance. Spokesman Christopher Bordelon said authorities chased down the man they said was responsible for the murders, fatally shooting the suspect after a carjacking.
“We do believe him to be the only individual that fired gunshots at these locations here,” Bordelon said.
The three shooting-related scenes were on W. 79th Street, Harrison Street, and Bossier Parish, on Brompton Lane, according to authorities. As the suspect fled, he was fatally shot in Bossier Parish.
“You have three different scenes, the shooting itself occurred just down the road over here, the 300 block of West 79th,” he said. “There’s also another shooting related to this on Harrison Street, and then there’s an adjacent residence on West 79 where one of the victims ran to after the shooting.”
When reached by the Washington Examiner, SPD said the Louisiana State Police is “currently investigating” the officer-involved shooting.
“One subject was shot and has been pronounced dead. No officers were harmed during the incident,” a press release from SPD reads.
Some of the children shot were related to the suspect, police believe. Two other adult women were injured during the incident, including one suffering from life-threatening injuries after appearing to be shot in the head, according to police. One of the women is believed to be in a relationship with the suspect, according to KLSA.
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“This is an extensive scene, unlike anything most of us have ever seen,” Police Chief Wayne Smith said during a press briefing.
“This is a tragic situation, maybe the worst tragic situation we’ve ever had in Shreveport,” Shreveport Mayor Tom Arceneaux added.