8 children killed in domestic shootings across multiple homes in Louisiana, police say

KSLA, CNN

By Chris Boyette, CNN

(CNN) — Eight children were shot and killed across three homes in south Shreveport, Louisiana, early Sunday in what authorities are calling a domestic disturbance. The victims ranged in age from 1 to 14.

Two adult women and one teenager were also wounded in the shootings, police said. The women are both in critical condition, the Shreveport mayor said, and the teenager has non-life threatening injuries.

The person responsible for the deaths was shot and killed by Shreveport officers after a brief chase, according to Shreveport police Cpl. Chris Bordelon. Investigators believe the person is related to at least some of the victims, he said.

“It rattles the entire city,” Mayor Tom Arceneaux said. “It affects us all.”

Police responded to reports of shots fired in the Cedar Grove community of Shreveport just after 6 a.m. CT and found victims in two homes along West 79th Street and a third home on nearby Harrison Street, Bordelon said.

“This is a very large scene with multiple deceased children present,” Bordelon said.

There have been at least 114 mass shootings in the United States so far this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive, which like CNN defines a mass shooting as one in which four or more people are shot, not including the shooter.

The suspect carjacked a vehicle and led police on a chase into the next parish, Bordelon said.

“The vehicle was chased into Bossier Parish, and at which point in time, Shreveport police officers did discharge their firearm, and that individual is deceased,” he said.

The Louisiana State Police are investigating the officer-involved shooting.

“Investigators are working to process the scene and gather further information,” state police said in a statement. No officers were injured, state police said.

“This is a tragic situation, maybe the worst tragic situation we’ve ever had in Shreveport,” Arceneaux said.

“I just don’t know what to say, you know? My heart is just taken aback. I just cannot begin to imagine how such an event can occur,” Shreveport Police Chief Wayne Smith said.

House Speaker Mike Johnson called the killings “heartbreaking.”

“We’re holding the victims, their families and loved ones, and our Shreveport community close in our thoughts and prayers during this incredibly difficult time,” said Johnson, who represents the Shreveport area in Congress.

Police have not released the names of the victims or the suspected shooter.

“This tragedy reaches far beyond the scene itself,” Arceneaux said.

First responders to the call, neighbors, families of the victims and the community are all affected, he said.

“These are the kinds of moments that leave a lasting imprint — on our hearts, on our minds, and on our sense of safety.”

This is a developing story and will be updated.

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