A domestic disturbance escalated into a mass casualty event Sunday morning in Louisiana, leaving eight children dead and two others injured. The suspect was later killed by law enforcement following a high-speed pursuit.
The violence began just after 6:00 a.m. in the 300 block of West 79th Street. Shreveport Police Department officers arrived to find a crime scene that included two homes in the immediate area and a third location on nearby Harris Street.
In total, 10 people were shot, eight of whom did not survive. The victims range in age from 1 to 14 years old.
The high speed pursuit
Following the initial shootings, the suspect fled the scene, sparking a multi-jurisdictional chase. After leaving the residential area, the suspect committed a carjacking near the corner of West 79th and Lynnwood.
Shreveport patrol officers engaged the vehicle in a pursuit that crossed into Bossier City. The suspect was fatally shot by officers during the chase. Louisiana State Police confirmed that no officers were harmed during the exchange.
“The individual responsible once leaving this scene performed a carjacking right here in close proximity… At which point in time, Shreveport police patrol officers got behind that vehicle in a chase incident,” Police spokesperson Christopher Bordelon told CNBC.
Investigation and motive
While a specific motive has not yet been identified by the authorities, agencies believe there is a domestic link between the shooter and the victims. Police spokesperson Christopher Bordelon told CNBC that some of the children killed “were his descendants”.
Police Chief Wayne Smith emphasized the sheer scale of the tragedy during a briefing. “This is an extensive scene unlike anything most of us have ever seen,” Smith told CNBC.
Confirming that the scope of the threat was limited to one individual, police spokesperson Christopher Bordelon told CNBC, “We (City police department) believe him to be the only individual that fired gunshots at these locations here.”
Louisiana State Police detectives have taken the lead on the investigation into the officer-involved shooting at the request of local authorities.
State police are urging anyone with photos, video footage, or relevant information regarding the events on West 79th Street or the subsequent pursuit to contact detectives immediately.