Eight children have been killed in a shooting incident linked to a domestic dispute in the U.S. state of Louisiana.
According to police officials, the incident took place in the city of Shreveport. The ages of the deceased children ranged from one to 14 years.
The Shreveport police chief described the incident as extremely horrific. He said the suspect was injured during an attempt to flee and has been taken into custody.
Two adult women survived the shooting, according to multiple media reports, while authorities continued working to determine the sequence of events and a possible motive. Police have indicated the violence appeared to stem from a domestic-related incident.
The scale of the killings shocked local officials. Shreveport Mayor Tom Arceneaux described the attack as potentially the worst tragedy the city had faced in recent memory.
The Louisiana State Police said its detectives had been asked to assist in the investigation, including reviewing the officer-involved shooting that ended the pursuit. Authorities said no officers were injured.
State police urged anyone with videos, photographs or information related to the shootings to contact investigators.
The killings add to renewed scrutiny over gun violence in the United States, where mass shootings and domestic-related attacks continue to drive political debate, even as lawmakers remain divided over gun control measures.
Earlier, in another incident, multiple people were injured in a shooting in the U.S. state of Iowa. According to news agencies, the shooting occurred at a university in Iowa.
