Eight children killed by Louisiana shooting, police report 11 minutes agoGrace GoodwinShreveport police departmentEight children aged between one and fourteen years old were killed in a shooting that occurred in Shreveport in Louisiana. Police are calling it a “domestic disorder”. Officers reported that the shootings took place at 05:00 local (10:00 BST) when a single shooter shot 10 people. The police chased the suspect shooter and killed him as he fled. Tom Arceneaux, Shreveport’s mayor, said: “We have hurting people, hurting families and hurting police officers and coroners.” “This is a tragedy that affects everyone in the community. We all mourn with the families.” “Police did identify the suspected shooter or the victims but said that some of the children are related to the deceased. The mayor said that this was a tragic event – perhaps the worst tragedy to ever occur in Shreveport. He asked for prayers for the families and the city.Police said the shooting took place at two homes on the same block and a third residence in the neighbourhood.Shreveport Police Corporal Chris Bordelon said officers attended a home shortly before 06:00 local time and found the children. Bordelon stated that “all of the deceased are juveniles” in this case. He said officers determined that the call was of a “domestic nature”, and added one of the victims had fled to another residence. Police said that after the shooting, the suspected gunman stole a car and fled. Bordelon claimed that officers chased the suspect gunman into another neighbourhood and fired at him. The suspected gunman is now dead. Police did not identify either the shooter nor the victims because they wanted to notify the family. Smith said, “I cannot imagine how such a thing could happen.” He added that the investigation was conducted in coordination with Louisiana State Police with the assistance of multiple other agencies. “We will work diligently for as long as it takes to find out what happened,” he said.Louisiana governor Jeff Landry said that he and his spouse are “heartbroken” over the “horrible situation”, and they are praying for all those affected. Landry said, “We are deeply grateful to law enforcement officers and first-responders who worked tirelessly on the incident.” House Speaker Mike Johnson who represents the Louisiana district in which the shooting occurred, also commented on this “heartbreaking” tragedy. “We are holding the victims and their loved ones close in our prayers, as well as our Shreveport Community and their families,” he said. He also expressed gratitude for the prompt response of local police.
