Updated April 19, 2026 at 5:47 PM EDT
Eight children were killed and another two people were hit by gunfire in a weekend shooting in Northwest Louisiana that stemmed from a domestic disturbance, the Shreveport Police Department said Sunday.
The adult male suspect is dead, authorities said. His name and age have not been released.
The children who were killed range in age from 1 to 14 years old.
Cpl. Christopher Bordelon said in a Sunday morning press conference that several of the victims were related to the suspect. "We do know that some of the children inside were his descendants," he said.
Investigators were called to a home in the city around 6 a.m. local time on Sunday. Bordelon said one of the victims had run to an adjacent house, and authorities were also alerted to another crime scene at a third home nearby.
After police arrived, they chased the suspect, who had allegedly stolen a car and fled the scene. The chase ended when the Shreveport Police Department fired at the suspect. The Louisiana State Police, which is investigating the shooting by officers, said in a statement that the suspect was shot.
Mayor Tom Arceneaux said the shootings have shocked the community roughly 200 miles east of Dallas. "This is a tragic situation, maybe the worst tragic situation we've ever had in Shreveport," he said.
Investigators were continuing to collect evidence Sunday and piece together the events of the previous hours, the likes of which local officials said they had never seen.
"I just don't know what to say, my heart is just taken aback," said Shreveport Police Chief Wayne Smith. "I just cannot begin to imagine how such an event can occur."
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry said in a statement that he and his wife Sharon were "heartbroken over this horrific situation" and praying for those affected.
Copyright 2026 NPR
