Eight children were shot dead - seven were the shooter's own

A 31-year-old man shot and killed eight children, ages 1 to 14, in Shreveport, Louisiana, on Sunday. Hours after the shooting, local authorities said the shooter was the father of seven of the children.

Two more people - one of them the 31-year-old's wife and the children's mother - were shot and seriously injured.

The shooting is the deadliest in the United States in over two years and has shocked the state, not least because of the close relationship between the perpetrator and the victims.

"It's a tragic situation, perhaps the most tragic we've ever experienced in Shreveport," said Mayor Tom Arceneaux.

The perpetrator, who, according to family members, suffered from mental health problems, was shot dead by police.