Police said a gunman shot dead seven of his own children and another child early on Sunday morning in Shreveport in Louisiana. The victims were aged from about one and 14-years.
Seven bodies were found inside a home, while an eighth child died after trying to escape across a rooftop police said.
The suspect, identified by police as Shamar Elkins, was later killed by officers after a car chase. Authorities said he had carjacked a vehicle at gunpoint before officers opened fire.
Shreveport Police Department spokesperson Christopher Bordelon told TV station KTBS that one crime scene was "incredibly gruesome."
The shootings took place across two nearby homes. Investigators believe the gunman first shot a woman before going to another house where the children were killed.
The suspect and one woman who was shot were the parents of seven of the children, Bordelon told TV station KSLA. One woman sustained life-threatening injuries, and multiple families were affected, he told KSLA. The shooting started after 6 a.m. (1100 GMT) on Sunday, he told reporters.
Police say the motive is still unclear, though they believe the attack was entirely domestic in nature.
“This is an extensive scene, unlike anything most of us have ever seen,” a police spokesperson said.
Local officials have spoken of their devastation. Mayor Tom Arceneaux called it “maybe the worst tragic situation we’ve ever had”. Mike Johnson, a Shreveport resident, described the incident as a “heartbreaking tragedy”, while Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry said he was praying for those affected.
The attack has renewed calls for stronger support systems to tackle domestic violence. State Senator Sam Jenkins said more consistent intervention could help prevent such tragedies.
Not including Sunday's incident in Shreveport, the Gun Violence Archive lists at least 119 mass shootings in the United States this year, resulting in 117 deaths, including 79 children, and 458 people injured.
Last year, the United States had 407 mass shootings, according to archive data.
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Iran accuses the United States of breaching a ceasefire after an alleged attack on a commercial ship in the Gulf of Oman, vowing retaliation, after President Donald Trump said U.S. forces seized and disabled a vessel trying to bypass the blockade.
A coalition led by a pro-Russian Eurosceptic was on track to form Bulgaria’s next government preliminary results from the Balkan nation’s parliamentary elections showed on Monday (20 April).
Pope Leo XIV has urged Angolans to move beyond decades of division, as tens of thousands gathered for Mass and prayers during his visit to the country. Speaking to large crowds near Luanda on Sunday (19 April), the pope described Angola as a “beautiful yet wounded country”.
Concerns grew on Monday (20 April) that the ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran, due to expire on Tuesday, might not hold after Washington’s Navy seized an Iranian cargo ship that tried to run its blockade of Iranian ports, with Tehran vowing to retaliate.
Dozens of Chinese-made humanoid robots have demonstrated improvements in speed, balance and autonomous navigation after completing a half-marathon in Beijing on Sunday (19 April), in a showcase of the country’s fast-developing robotics sector.
The U.S. Navy has forcibly intercepted and boarded the Iranian cargo ship TOUSKA in the Gulf of Oman after it attempted to breach the ongoing naval blockade. President Trump confirmed that the vessel was neutralised and seized by Marines following a direct strike on its engine room.
Two Indian-flagged ships were shot at in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, India's Foreign Ministry said, as Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz again, less than 24 hours after reopening the 167km long sea passage, which is essential for global trade.
Six people have been killed after a man opened fire in a supermarket in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, on Saturday (18 April). Ukraine's Security Service said it was investigating the incident as a "terrorist act."
Global leaders and diplomats gathered in southern Türkiye on 17 April for the fifth Antalya Diplomacy Forum, focusing on uncertainty, conflict, and the future of global cooperation.
A coalition led by a pro-Russian Eurosceptic was on track to form Bulgaria’s next government preliminary results from the Balkan nation’s parliamentary elections showed on Monday (20 April).
Pope Leo XIV has urged Angolans to move beyond decades of division, as tens of thousands gathered for Mass and prayers during his visit to the country. Speaking to large crowds near Luanda on Sunday (19 April), the pope described Angola as a “beautiful yet wounded country”.
Secretly filmed footage from two UK laboratories has reignited debate over animal testing in drug development, after a former worker alleged that monkeys, dogs and other animals endured prolonged distress during safety trials for new medicines.
Cleanup efforts are underway in Lena, Illinois, after a suspected tornado tore through the village on Friday (17 April), damaging homes, schools and infrastructure, leaving thousands without power. Residents and emergency crews spent Saturday clearing debris, and working around downed power lines.
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