Eight children aged 1 to 14 killed in ‘domestic’ shooting spree in Louisiana

Washington: Eight children have been killed in a mass shooting in the US state of Louisiana that police have described as a “domestic disturbance” that unfolded across multiple homes.

The horrific crime spree took place in Shreveport, a city in Louisiana’s north-west near the Texas border. The gunman – whom police said was the father of some of the children – then stole a car and was killed following a police pursuit.

At a news conference outside one of the homes, people audibly gasped and wailed as police spokesman Chris Bordelon revealed 10 people were shot in total, and that the eight dead were aged between 1 and 14.

“All of the deceased in this case are juveniles,” he said. “We do know that some of the children inside were his descendants.”

The offender was subsequently identified by US media outlets as Shamar Elkins, a 31-year-old army veteran from Shreveport, citing police sources.

Police have not yet formally confirmed the identity of the suspect or the victims.

Speaking to the local Shreveport-Bossier City Advocate, Bordelon said two women were also shot and wounded, one of whom was believed to be in a romantic relationship with the gunman.

“We believe the offender did, in this case, execute some of his own children,” he said. “We don’t know how many were his, and exact relationships.”

Bordelon said police were called to a residence on West 79th Street, Shreveport at about 6am on Sunday (US time), which was identified as a crime scene relating to a domestic dispute. It was established that the crime spree encompassed two residences on that street, and another residence nearby, he said.

Gunshots were fired at all three locations and there was no doubt the three crime scenes were connected, he added.

Bordelon said the perpetrator carjacked a vehicle and was pursued by police into a neighbouring parish. They discharged their weapons and the suspect was killed, though the exact circumstances of his death were still unclear.

Bordelon said he had never seen a crime like it in his police career.

The Associated Press reported it was the deadliest mass shooting in the US since eight people were killed in Chicago in early 2024, according to a database it maintains in partnership with USA Today and Northeastern University.

Mayor Tom Arceneaux said it was “a tragic situation - maybe the worst tragic situation we have ever had in Shreveport”.

“It is a terrible morning … we all mourn with the victims,” he said.

With about 180,000 people, the city on the Red River is the third largest in Louisiana after New Orleans and Baton Rouge.

House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson, who represents the Louisiana district where the shootings occurred, called it a “senseless tragedy” and called on followers to pray for the families and first responders.

“Local officials are saying it is one of the worst tragedies they have ever seen. God be with the community through this terrible time,” he said.

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