Eight children, including a baby, have been killed in a mass shooting in Shreveport, Louisiana, after a crazed gunman opened fire in three different homes in the US city.
A total of 10 people were shot, eight of them fatally, with the victims’ ages ranging from 1 to 14, following the horrific scenes on Saturday night, according to police.
Some of the victims were “descendants” of the gunman, Shreveport Police Department spokesperson Christopher Bordelon told a news briefing.
“This is a rather extensive crime scene spanning between two residences,” he said, adding that a third residence was also part of the scene being combed by investigators.
Following the shooting, the gunman carjacked a vehicle and tried to escape, before being shot dead by police, according to authorities.
“We do believe him to be the only individual that fired gunshots at these locations,” Mr Bordelon said, calling the incident a “domestic disturbance.”
The crime scene was described as “extensive” and spanned two homes on the same street and a third on a nearby street, The NY Post reports.
“The individual responsible once leaving this scene performed a carjacking right here in close proximity to the corner of West 79th and Linwood, at which point in time, Shreveport police patrol officers got behind that vehicle in a chase incident,” Mr Bordelon said.
The US, where firearms are readily available, is a frequent scene of gun violence, with thousands of people killed every year. “It’s a terrible morning in Shreveport and we all mourn with the victims,” Mayor Tom Arceneaux said at a press conference.
– With The NY Post and AFP
