Shreveport police stood amid shattered glass and bloodstained porches on W. 79th Street early Saturday, confirming eight children lay dead from gunfire.
The victims ranged in age from 1 to 14 years old. Authorities called the shootings a domestic disturbance that spilled across two homes in this residential neighborhood.
Ten people suffered gunshot wounds in total. Two adult women survived the attack; one remains in critical condition with a life-threatening head injury at a local hospital.
Chris Bordelon, spokesperson for the Shreveport Police Department, addressed reporters at the cordoned-off scene.
The suspect, related to some of the victims, fled the area by carjacking a vehicle. Police pursued him into neighboring Bossier City, where officers fatally shot him around 6 a.m. on April 19, 2026.
Tom Arceneaux, mayor of Shreveport, arrived as yellow crime scene tape fluttered in the morning breeze. He surveyed the quiet block lined with single-story homes before speaking to the media.
Investigators processed evidence from the primary scene on W. 79th Street, a working-class area just west of Shreveport's downtown. Neighbors gathered at the perimeter, some clutching tissues as ambulances departed earlier in the night.
Captain Shawn M. Wilson, with the Shreveport Police Department's homicide unit, detailed the sequence to KSLA News 12 reporters. He noted the gunfire began around 3:40 a.m., striking children at close range inside the homes.
The domestic dispute escalated rapidly, leaving no time for escape, Captain Shawn M. Wilson said. Bullets pierced walls between the two addresses.
One surviving woman, in her 30s, underwent emergency surgery at Ochsner LSU Health hospital. The second, aged 42, received treatment for multiple wounds and spoke briefly with detectives from her bedside, according to police updates.
Federal agents from the FBI joined local teams by mid-morning, assisting with ballistics and witness canvassing. No names of the children or suspect have been released pending family notifications.
Emily Carter, a longtime resident living two doors down, watched from her driveway as officers carried small body bags. "I heard pops like fireworks, then screaming," she told AP News. "Never thought it would be our kids."
Shreveport, a city of 180,000 in northwest Louisiana, grapples with occasional violence tied to domestic calls. This incident marks one of the deadliest in its history, surpassing prior mass casualty events.
By noon, counselors arrived at nearby schools. Pastor James Riley of Mount Canaan Baptist Church, blocks away, opened his doors for grieving families. "These were our babies—playing outside yesterday," Riley said, shaking his head.
Police Chief Tony M. Thomas promised a full investigation into the carjacking and officer-involved shooting in Bossier City. Body camera footage expected within 72 hours, per department policy.
Neighbors placed teddy bears and candles at a makeshift memorial on W. 79th Street as the sun climbed higher. The block, once filled with children's laughter, now echoes with sirens and sorrow.
