The Associated Press

· Posted: Apr 19, 2026 2:50 PM EDT | Last Updated: 13 minutes ago

A gunman in Louisiana killed eight children in domestic-related shootings at two different homes early Sunday, police in Shreveport said.

The victims ranged in age from one to about 14 years old, said Shreveport police spokesperson Chris Bordelon. A total of 10 were people shot.

The gunman later died after a chase with officers who fired at the suspect, Bordelon said. The suspect stole a car while leaving the scene of the shootings and was followed by police, according to Bordelon.

Police did not release the name of the suspect but did say he was an adult male.

Officials said they were still gathering details at the crime scenes south of downtown Shreveport — the two homes and a third location. Some of the children shot were related to the suspect, Bordelon said.

"This is an extensive scene unlike anything most of us have ever seen," he said.

WATCH | Shooting followed a 'domestic disturbance,' police say:

'It's a terrible morning'

Liza Demming, who lives two houses down from where one of the attacks happened, said her security camera captured video of the suspect running away, along with the sound of two shots.

"That's pretty much all I saw, was him running out of the house and the cars leaving," she said.

Demming later went outside and saw the covered body of a child on the home's roof. She said she did not know the gunman's name.

A police SUV sits in front of a house on Harrison Street near Bernstein Avenue in Shreveport during an investigation into Sunday's mass shooting. (Jill Pickett/The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate/AP)

"He looks like the dad that comes over here," she said, adding that he was just with the children a few days ago.

It was the deadliest mass shooting in the U.S. since eight people were killed in a Chicago suburb in January 2024, according to a database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University.

At a news conference outside the residence where one of the shootings occurred, officials appeared stunned, requesting patience and prayers from the community as they sorted through multiple crime scenes.

"I just don't know what to say. My heart is just taken aback," Shreveport police Chief Wayne Smith said. "I cannot begin to imagine how such an event could occur."

"This is a tragic situation — maybe the worst tragic situation we've ever had," said Tom Arceneaux, mayor of the city in northwestern Louisiana with about 180,000 residents. "It's a terrible morning."

Louisiana State Police say their detectives have been asked by Shreveport police to investigate. In a statement, state police say no officers were harmed in the shooting that involved an officer after a police pursuit into Bossier City on Sunday morning.

Shreverport Police spokesman Cpl. Chris Bordelon speaks to the news media and others gathered near where the shooting took place in Shreveport Sunday. (Jill Pickett/The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate via AP)

State police are asking anyone with pictures, video or information to share it with state police detectives.

Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry and U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, who is from Shreveport, said in separate statements that they were heartbroken and praised law enforcement for their response. 

"We're holding the victims, their families and loved ones, and our Shreveport community close in our thoughts and prayers during this incredibly difficult time," Johnson said in a statement.