Eight children and teens were killed early Sunday in a mass shooting in Shreveport, Louisiana, authorities said. The suspected shooter is also dead, according to police.
Ten people were struck by gunfire in all, Shreveport Police Department spokesperson Chris Bordelon said at a news conference. He described the incident as “domestic in nature” and said authorities believe at least some of those shot were the “descendants” of the shooter.
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The ages of the deceased ranged from 1 to approximately 14 years old, police said. None of the people killed or injured were identified by name. Some of the injured have been hospitalized, said Shreveport Mayor Tom Arceneaux.
The shootings took place at multiple residences in the Louisiana city, including two homes on the same block and a third in another part of the neighborhood, police said. Attorney General Liz Murrill said on X that multiple law enforcement agencies are investigating the incident.
Officers responded to the shooting just after 6 a.m. ET at one of the residences where victims were shot, Shreveport police said. The suspect fled, carjacked a vehicle nearby and was chased by police, according to the department. Police said the suspect was killed after officers involved in that pursuit discharged their firearms.
The suspect was acting on their own, police said. The suspect has not yet been identified, but police said the department planned to release a name once necessary notifications had been made.
Louisiana State Police said its detectives will investigate the circumstances around the suspect’s death, since it involved an officer. In a statement, the superintendent said investigators were “working to process the scene and gather further information.”
Shreveport Police Chief Wayne Smith said he couldn’t “even begin to imagine how such an event could occur,” referring to the shooting, and said investigators will be “going through every piece of evidence at every scene” to understand what took place.
Arceneaux said the shooting “affects the entire community.”
“This is a tragic situation, maybe the worst tragic situation we’ve ever had in Shreveport,” he said, adding, “We all mourn for these families.”
Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry said on X that he and his wife Sharon “are heartbroken over this situation” and are “praying for everyone affected.”
Majority House Speaker Mike Johnson, whose Louisiana district includes the site of the shooting, referred to it as a “heartbreaking tragedy” in a post on X and said he was holding “the victims, their families and loved ones, and our Shreveport community close in our thoughts and prayers during this incredibly difficult time.”
The White House is also monitoring the situation, an official told CBS News.
