Eight children between the ages of 1 and 14 have died in what authorities are calling a domestic violence shooting that occurred at multiple locations in Shreveport, Louisiana on Sunday. The incident marks the nation’s most devastating mass shooting in over two years, according to police.
Shreveport police report that 10 individuals were shot in total during the rampage. Police spokesperson Chris Bordelon confirmed the adult male gunman was killed following a pursuit with law enforcement officers who opened fire on the suspect. The perpetrator had taken a vehicle while fleeing from the shooting locations.
Authorities have not yet identified the shooter by name, though they confirmed he was an adult male. Officials continue to process evidence at multiple crime scenes located south of downtown Shreveport, including two residential properties and an additional site. According to Bordelon, several of the young victims were family members of the gunman.
Liza Demming, whose home is located two houses away from one of the shooting sites, reported that her surveillance system recorded footage of the suspect fleeing toward a nearby tire business. “That’s pretty much all I saw, was him running out of the house,” she said. Her security system’s audio captured the sound of two gunshots during the incident.
Demming described seeing one of the child victims on the home’s roof, already covered by authorities. Despite the tragedy that unfolded, she noted the absence of any warning signs. “It was nothing loud, no altercations. It was quiet. Nothing,” she said.
Pastor Marty T. Johnson Sr. of St. Gabriel Community Baptist Church confirmed he owns the property where the shootings took place but explained he had no personal contact with the family who was renting the residence. Johnson stated that an employee had handled the rental arrangement with the family.
The pastor expressed his commitment to supporting the community during this difficult time. “I do plan on having a prayer vigil for the family, and anything I can do, with so many children, to help them bury the children, I’m going to do so,” Johnson said.
U.S. Representative Cleo Fields, whose congressional district encompasses part of Shreveport, responded to the tragedy with a call for community action. “We’ve got to take our community back, and we will,” the Democrat stated. Fields said he is keeping two women who were wounded in the attack in his prayers and praised the multiple law enforcement agencies conducting what he described as “an extensive and deeply painful investigation.”
“A crime scene spanning four locations, eight children gone ranging in age from just one to fourteen years old — there are no words,” Fields said. “Shreveport is a resilient community, and we will get through this together.”
Former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, who survived a 2011 assassination attempt in Arizona, issued a statement condemning the violence. “All of us should be outraged that we live in a country that routinely subjects our kids to such unimaginable violence,” said Giffords, who now campaigns for stricter gun laws. “Our children have no option but to trust us to keep them safe, but our country is failing them every day. Both Congress and Baton Rouge have a moral duty to do better. Our leaders must act—now.”
Bordelon described the investigation as unprecedented in scope. “This is an extensive scene unlike anything most of us have ever seen,” he said.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Shreveport native who represents northwest Louisiana, expressed his condolences in a statement. “Heartbreaking tragedy in Shreveport this morning — 8 children were senselessly killed and multiple others were injured. My team is in touch with local law enforcement as more details emerge,” Johnson said. “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.”
Louisiana State Police confirmed that no law enforcement officers were injured during the confrontation with the suspect following a chase into Bossier City on Sunday morning. Investigators are requesting that anyone with photographs, video footage, or information related to the incident contact state police detectives.
According to data compiled by The Associated Press and USA Today in collaboration with Northeastern University, this represents the deadliest mass shooting since January 2024, when eight people were killed in a Chicago suburb.
Local officials appeared overwhelmed as they addressed the community from outside one of the shooting locations, asking residents for patience and prayers as they work through the complex investigation spanning 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.”
Shreveport Mayor Tom Arceneaux described the morning’s events as potentially the worst tragedy the city of approximately 180,000 residents has ever experienced. “This is a tragic situation — maybe the worst tragic situation we’ve ever had,” Arceneaux said. “It’s a terrible morning.”
