Louisiana gunman killed seven of his own children and one other child in deadliest US mass shooting in years, police say

Eight children have been killed in a mass shooting in Louisiana after a “domestic disturbance” that took place in multiple residences, police said Sunday morning.

The children were aged between 1 and 14 years old, according to Shreveport Police Department spokesperson Christopher Bordelon.

Some of the young victims were “descendants” of the suspect, who was shot dead by police, Bordelon said during a press conference.

In total, 10 people were shot in the attack that took place across at least three locations in Shreveport.

Bordelon said the gunman fled in a stolen vehicle and was fatally shot by officers during a chase in neighboring Bossier City.

Eight children have been killed in a mass shooting in Louisiana following a ‘domestic disturbance,’ police said Sunday morning (Shreveport Police Department)“The individual responsible once leaving this scene performed a carjacking right here in close proximity to the corner of West 79th and Linwood, at which point in time, Shreveport police patrol officers got behind that vehicle in a chase incident,” Bordelon said.

Shreveport Police Chief Wayne Smith said he was “taken aback” by the horrifying shooting.

“My heart goes out to this entire community for the tragic event that has taken place this morning,” Smith said. “I just don’t know what to say. My heart is just taken aback. I just cannot begin to imagine how such an event can occur.”

Shreveport police chief Wayne Smith said ‘my heart is just taken aback’ following the horrific attack (Shreveport Police Department)He said the crime scene was an “extensive scene unlike anything most of us have ever seen.”

“This is a tragic situation, maybe the worst tragic situation we’ve ever had,” Shreveport Mayor Tom Arceneaux added. “It’s a terrible morning in Shreveport.”

Police said they were still gathering details about the crime scene, and the Louisiana State Police is also investigating.

The two surviving victims were both women who had been shot in the head. One of the women is believed to have been in a relationship with the suspect, according to Smith. Police said one of the women fled to a neighbor’s house after she was shot, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Bordelon declined to identify the suspect or the victims as investigators are still working to notify the family members of those involved.

The city of Shreveport is in northwestern Louisiana, with a population of around 180,000.