At least eight children died in a horrific shooting incident related to domestic violence in Louisiana, USA. According to officials, this incident took place at three different places. Police said the suspected attacker, whose identity was not immediately made public, was trying to flee after the incident. He died after being shot by the police during the chase.
Corporal Chris Bordelon of the Shreveport Police Department told a press conference that the children killed were between 1 and 14 years old and that the initial investigation appears to be related to domestic violence.
He said shots were reported around 6 a.m. in the 300 block of West 79th Street. The crime scene was spread between two houses, while another house on Harrison Street was also found to be linked to the incident.
According to the police, the attacker forcibly snatched a car and tried to escape. After this, the police chased him and killed him in a shootout during a cordon in the nearby area. The city of Shreveport is the third largest city in Louisiana and is located near the state border with Texas.
Officials said they were still gathering information about the crime scene, which was spread over three locations. Bordelon said some of the children shot were related to the suspect.
At a news conference outside the home where one of the shootings took place, officials appeared shocked and urged people's patience and prayers. Shreveport Police Chief Wayne Smith said, "I don't know what to say, my heart is just shattered. I can't even imagine how something like this could happen."
"It's a tragic situation, probably the worst tragic situation we've ever seen. It's a terrible morning," said Tom Arceneaux, mayor of the northwestern Louisiana city of about 180,000 residents.
Louisiana State Police say Shreveport Police have asked their undercover police to investigate. In a statement, state police said no officers were harmed in the shooting that followed a police chase Sunday morning. The State Police has said that if anyone has pictures, videos or information, they should share it with the Intelligence Department of the State Police.
