Eight Children Killed In Shreveport Domestic Violence Shooting, Suspect Dies After Police Pursuit
Eight children were killed and two women wounded in a domestic-violence shooting in Shreveport, Louisiana, police said.
Police said a total of 10 people were shot, including the eight children and two adult women. Officials said victims ranged in age from about 1 to 14 years old, and some of the children were related to the suspect. Police described the episode as a domestic dispute that began at one home and spread to two other nearby locations on the same block and in the neighborhood. Authorities say the suspect carjacked a vehicle while fleeing and was fatally shot by officers after a pursuit that continued into neighboring Bossier City.
Early reports framed the incident generally as a domestic-violence shooting without clear family details. Later reporting, notably from NPR and several local outlets, clarified the suspect was the father of seven of the slain children and that one of the women shot was his wife. That shift added crucial context about motive and family impact and was highlighted in briefings by Shreveport officials including Police Chief Wayne Smith and Mayor Tom Arceneaux.
Louisiana State Police have been asked to investigate the officer-involved shooting, and officials said no officers were injured. Authorities held a Sunday afternoon press conference where they asked the public to share photos or video and where officials reiterated the domestic-violence characterization. Neighbors and social media posts provided graphic witness accounts, including a neighbor who filmed the suspect running and one who said she saw a child's body on a roof. Officials said the Caddo Parish coroner had not released names as identifications were pending, and local leaders called the attack among the city's worst tragedies.
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This story is compiled from 11 sources using AI-assisted curation and analysis. Original reporting is attributed below. Learn about our methodology.
📌 Key Facts
- The shooting occurred in Shreveport, Louisiana, and has been described by police as a domestic-violence incident.
- Eight children were killed and a total of 10 people were shot in the incident, including two adults; the victims' ages ranged from about 1 to 14 years old.
- Police say some of the slain children were related to the suspect; authorities believe the adult male suspect was the father of seven of the children and that one of the women shot was his wife and the mother of those children.
- Officials say the attack began at one home—where a woman was shot—then moved to a second residence where most of the children were killed; police report the shootings took place at multiple locations, including two houses on the same block and a third elsewhere in the neighborhood.
- Witnesses and local officials reported chaotic escape attempts (some children tried to flee through a back door) and at least one neighbor said her camera captured the suspect running and saw a child's body on a roof.
- The suspect fled the scene, allegedly carjacked a vehicle about half a block away, and led officers on a pursuit into Bossier City/Bossier Parish, where he was fatally shot by police; Louisiana State Police detectives have been asked to investigate the officer-involved shooting and no officers were reported injured.
- Local officials held public briefings on the case—participants included Shreveport Police Chief Wayne Smith, Cpl. Christopher Bordelon, and Mayor Tom Arceneaux—and authorities asked the public to share photos or video related to the incident.
- The Caddo Parish coroner had not released the victims' names pending identification, and news databases cited this as the deadliest U.S. mass shooting since an eight-fatality incident in a Chicago suburb in January 2024.
📰 Source Timeline (11)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
April 20, 2026
10:30 AM
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New information:
- NPR reiterates Shreveport police’s account that a gunman killed eight children and wounded two women in northwest Louisiana in a domestic disturbance.
- The newsletter notes that police believe the adult male suspect was the father of seven of the children killed and that one of the women shot was his wife and the mother of seven of the children.
- NPR confirms again that the suspect is dead, aligning with earlier reports of his death after a police pursuit.
April 19, 2026
9:16 PM
8 children killed in Louisiana shooting, police say
New information:
- Confirms attack began at one home where a woman was shot, then moved to a second home where most children were killed.
- Adds witness account from neighbor Liza Demming, whose camera captured the suspect running and who saw a child's body on the roof.
- Provides detail that some children tried to escape out a back door, according to State Rep. Tammy Phelps.
- Clarifies that the Caddo Parish Coroner has not yet released victims' names as identifications are pending.
- Specifies that Louisiana State Police detectives were asked to investigate the officer-involved shooting in Bossier City and that no officers were injured.
- Notes this is the deadliest U.S. mass shooting since an eight-fatality incident in a Chicago suburb in January 2024, per an AP/USA Today/Northeastern database.
8:24 PM
Louisiana officials speak after 8 children and teens killed in shooting
New information:
- CBS carried a live briefing where Louisiana officials publicly confirmed that eight victims were children and teens.
- Officials again emphasized that police view the incident as domestic in nature.
6:00 PM
Eight Children Killed in Louisiana Shooting
New information:
- Wall Street Journal confirms the suspect carjacked a vehicle while fleeing before being killed by officers.
- Article explicitly characterizes the incident as taking place during a domestic dispute, consistent with but independently corroborating earlier police framing.
- Provides a succinct official description that the man 'opened fire' before fleeing, reinforcing the basic sequence of events.
5:56 PM
Police give early update on Shreveport, Louisiana mass shooting
New information:
- Confirms that officials held a Sunday afternoon press conference on the case.
- Identifies specific briefing participants: Corporal Chris Bordelon, Mayor Tom Arceneaux and Police Chief Wayne Smith.
- Reiterates that police are describing the incident as a domestic disturbance in which 10 people were shot and eight children died.
5:33 PM
8 children dead in mass shooting that began as domestic dispute, police say
New information:
- Police spokesperson Chris Bordelon said the victims ranged in age from about 1 to 14 and confirmed a total of 10 people were shot, including two adults.
- Bordelon said the suspect stole a car at gunpoint about a half block from the original scene before the fatal police shootout in Bossier Parish.
- Mayor Tom Arceneaux called it 'maybe the worst tragic situation we've ever had' and noted Shreveport has about 180,000 residents.
- Louisiana State Police specified that no officers were injured in the shootout and asked the public to submit photos or video to detectives.
5:26 PM
Eight children killed in a shooting in Louisiana, police say
New information:
- NPR confirms the age range of the slain children as between 1 and 14 years old.
- Police spokesman Cpl. Christopher Bordelon says some of the children were the suspect's descendants.
- NPR explicitly describes the episode as stemming from a domestic disturbance and identifies the suspect as an adult male.
- NPR reiterates that Louisiana State Police are investigating the officer-involved shooting after the car chase.
4:41 PM
8 children killed in mass shooting in Louisiana, police say
New information:
- Confirms eight victims were children and teens and that the suspected shooter is also dead.
- Specifies that the shootings occurred at multiple locations, including two residences on the same block and a third elsewhere in the neighborhood.
- Reaffirms Shreveport Police Chief Wayne Smith as the official briefing source at a news conference.
4:19 PM
8 Children Killed in Louisiana Domestic Violence Shooting, Police Say
New information:
- Confirms the shooting occurred in Shreveport, Louisiana, rather than only generically in the state.
- Characterizes the incident explicitly as a domestic violence shooting, aligning with police framing in more detail.
- Adds New York Times as an additional corroborating national outlet covering the same event.
4:10 PM
Police say 8 children killed in Louisiana mass shooting
New information:
- Police say a total of 10 people were shot in the incident, with eight children killed.
- Shreveport Police Chief Wayne Smith said the crime scene extends across three locations in the city.
- The suspected shooter was fatally shot by police during a vehicle pursuit that continued into Bossier City.
- Victims range in age from about 1 to 14 years old, and some of the children were related to the suspect.
- Louisiana State Police detectives have been asked by Shreveport police to investigate the officer-involved shooting, and no officers were injured.