Eight children aged between one and 14 have been killed in a shooting in Shreveport, Louisiana, in what police say began as a domestic-related incident.
Get today's headlines by email 
Authorities said a single gunman shot 10 people early in the morning before fleeing the scene in a stolen vehicle. Police later pursued the suspect and fatally shot him.
The attack, which unfolded across several locations in the same neighbourhood, has been described by city officials as one of the worst tragedies in the city’s history.
Early morning shooting
Police said the incident began at around 05:00 local time (10:00 GMT).
Officers responding to reports of gunfire found multiple crime scenes, including two homes on the same block on West 79th Street and another residence on nearby Harrison Street.
Shreveport Police Corporal Chris Bordelon said officers arrived at one home shortly before 06:00 and discovered several victims.
“All of the deceased in this case are juveniles,” Bordelon told reporters.
Investigators believe the shooting was domestic in nature. Some of the children killed were related to the suspected gunman, according to police.
Officials said one person who had been shot at the original residence managed to flee to a nearby home, creating an additional crime scene.
Authorities have not released the names of the victims or the suspect while family members are being notified.
Suspect killed after pursuit
Police said the suspected gunman fled the area after the shootings and carjacked a vehicle to escape.
Officers pursued the vehicle into another neighbourhood, where they confronted the suspect. During the encounter, police fired at the man, who died at the scene.
Further details about the circumstances of the confrontation have not yet been released.
Investigators from Shreveport Police are working with Louisiana State Police and several other agencies as they seek to determine what led to the shooting.
Police Chief Wayne Smith said authorities would continue investigating until they had answers.
“We are going to be working diligently however long it takes to get some answers to what has taken place,” he said.
Community mourning
Shreveport Mayor Tom Arceneaux said the incident had deeply affected the city.
“We have hurting families, we have hurting police officers, coroners’ personnel,” he said. “This affects the entire community, so we all mourn with these families.”
He described the event as possibly the most tragic incident the city has experienced.
“This is a tragic situation — maybe the worst tragic situation we've ever had in Shreveport,” he said, urging people to keep the families and the city in their prayers.
Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry said he and his wife were “heartbroken over this horrific situation” and offered prayers for those affected.
He also thanked emergency responders working at the scene.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, who represents Louisiana’s Fourth District, also expressed condolences, calling the shooting a “heartbreaking tragedy”.
He said his thoughts were with the victims, their families and the wider Shreveport community.
Deadliest US mass shooting in over a year
According to the Gun Violence Archive (GVA), a nonprofit organisation that tracks gun violence across the United States, the incident is the deadliest mass shooting in the country since January 2024.
In that case, eight people were killed in Joliet, Illinois.
The organisation defines a mass shooting as an incident in which four or more people are shot, excluding the suspected attacker.
Investigators say they are continuing to gather evidence and interview witnesses as they try to establish the full sequence of events that led to the killings.
Join the discussion? 
Already a member? 
Adapted by ASEAN Now. Source 20 April 2026
Recommended Comments
Create an account or sign in to comment