Local law enforcement in Shreveport, Louisiana, reported that eight minors were killed in a domestic violence incident on Sunday, with seven of the victims found inside a single home and an eighth dying while attempting to escape onto a rooftop, authorities said.
Police said the suspect was shot and killed by officers during a vehicle pursuit following the shootings. The names of the victims have not been released publicly as next of kin are being notified, according to statements from local officials.
Christopher Bordelon, a spokesperson for the Shreveport Police Department, described one of the crime scenes as "incredibly gruesome," the department said. Preliminary details indicate the suspect first shot a woman and then traveled to a nearby residence where the children were killed, according to a post from the Shreveport police.
Authorities said the children ranged in age from about one year old to 14 years old. Two adult women were taken to a hospital with serious injuries; one of those women had life-threatening wounds, the police said. Bordelon told local television that the suspect and one of the women who had been shot were the parents of seven of the children, and that multiple families were affected by the incident.
The shootings began shortly after 6 a.m. local time (1100 GMT) on Sunday, officials said. Leigh Anne Evensky, director of communications for the Shreveport mayor's office, identified the suspect as Shamar Elkins.
Following the shootings, police said, the suspect carjacked a vehicle. During a subsequent chase that continued into neighboring Bossier Parish, officers fired at the vehicle and the suspect was killed, Bordelon said. Louisiana State Police have been assigned to investigate the circumstances surrounding the shooting of the suspect, a spokesperson for that agency, Kate Stegall, said.
Shreveport Mayor Tom Arceneaux called the episode "a tragic situation, maybe the worst tragic situation we've ever had," and his office said it is coordinating with the Caddo Parish sheriff on establishing a comprehensive domestic violence center. The mayor's office said it is working to support that effort.
At a news conference, State Senator Sam Jenkins, whose district covers much of Shreveport, said the killings illustrate the need for sustained resources and interventions to address domestic violence. He urged that people with histories of domestic violence receive continuous and consistent support and intervention in hopes of preventing similar tragedies.
Authorities said they could not immediately determine whether the suspect had a prior history of domestic violence. Investigators continue to work to establish the motive for the shootings, Bordelon told a local television station.
National leaders from Louisiana reacted to the killings. U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, a native of Shreveport, described the incident as a "heartbreaking tragedy" in a social media post. Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry said on social media that he and his wife were praying for those affected.
The incident adds to broader national tallies compiled by the Gun Violence Archive. Excluding this event, the organization lists at least 119 mass shootings in the United States so far this year, resulting in 117 deaths, including 79 children, and 458 people injured. The archive defines a mass shooting as an incident in which at least four people, not counting the shooter, are injured or killed by gunfire. The organization recorded 407 mass shootings in the United States last year.
Investigators with local police and Louisiana State Police continue their work at multiple scenes and in follow-up inquiries. Officials have emphasized that questions remain about motive and the suspect's background as efforts proceed to inform affected families and to provide care for the survivors.