The man who opened fire in the city of Shreveport in the US state of Louisiana on April 19 turned out to be the father of seven of the eight children who died.
AP reports this with reference to a police statement.
According to law enforcement, a 31-year-old man, identified as Shamar Elkins, first shot a woman on the street and then went into a house where he killed his seven children.
Another child was found dead on the roof of a house by police, apparently trying to escape. The gunmanʼs victims were three boys and five girls, ages 3 to 11. Two other women were hospitalized, including the suspectʼs wife.
After the attack, the suspect stole a car and tried to flee. Police shot and killed him during a pursuit.
Law enforcement is calling the incident a “domestic shooting”. The AP notes that the incident was the deadliest mass shooting in the United States in more than two years.
The mayor of Shreveport, home to more than 180 000 people, called the incident the most tragic in the cityʼs history.
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