A family dispute early Sunday morning turned violent. A man, said to be related to at least some of the victims, fired several shots at ten people.
Eight children, aged between 18 months and 14 years, died at the scene. Seven of them were found inside a home, the eighth was found on the roof of the house after trying to escape, police said.
In addition, two adult women are being treated for gunshot wounds.
In addition to those shot, a boy was injured after jumping from a roof, reported television channel KTBS.
"We have three different locations we are investigating. The actual shooting occurred in a house, then we have another shooting further down the street, and then we have a residence where one of the victims went," police spokesman Christopher Bordelon said, according to NBC News.
Worst since 2024
The suspected shooter, a 31-year-old man with a previous conviction related to gun laws, tried to flee the scene and made his way to a neighboring town before being shot dead by police.
"The person responsible stole a car near the crime scene and police began a manhunt. We believe he is the only person who fired a weapon," said Christopher Bordelon.
According to the AP news agency, the shooting is the worst in the United States since January 2024, when eight people were killed in the Chicago suburbs by a man. No shooting has claimed more lives in the United States since October 2023, when a man shot and killed 18 people in two mass shootings in the town of Lewiston, Maine.
Heartbreaking
Tom Arceneaux, mayor of Shreveport in northwest Louisiana, said it's a terrible morning for the city's 180,000 residents.
It's tragic - maybe the most tragic thing we've ever experienced here, he said.
Mike Johnson, Speaker of the US House of Representatives, is from Shreveport and said the incident is an unimaginable tragedy.
"Heartbreaking. Eight children killed in a senseless shooting. Our thoughts are with the victims and their families," he said, according to AP.
