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People in Louisiana are mourning.
KEYSTONE
A deadly shooting attack in the US state of Louisiana has shaken the city of Shreveport: a man killed eight children and another woman before being stopped by police as he fled.
Many questions remain unanswered following the deadly shooting attack in the US state of Louisiana that left eight children dead. The crime has deeply shaken the city of Shreveport and is considered the most serious act of violence of its kind in the USA for more than two years.
Police were called to the Cedar Grove neighborhood early Sunday morning shortly after 6 a.m. local time after shots were reported. On the scene, the emergency services were confronted with a scene that, according to police spokesman Chris Bordelon, "no one should ever have to witness". It was one of the darkest days in the history of the parish.
The police in Louisiana after the shooting.
Keystone/AP Photo/Gerald Herbert
According to previous findings, the crime began with a domestic dispute. The 31-year-old suspect *S.E. is said to have first shot at his wife in a house on Harrison Street. She suffered life-threatening injuries, as did another woman. Both are in critical condition, according to authorities.
S.E. then drove to another home on West 79th Street. There he shot eight children and the mother of one of the children. The victims were between one and 14 years old. According to police, seven of the children killed were his own, another child was a cousin.
The police speak of an act "in the style of an execution". A 13-year-old boy was able to save himself by jumping from the roof of the house. He suffered several broken bones but is said to be recovering. Another child was found dead on the roof. Possibly in an attempt to escape.
After the crime, S.E. fled armed with a rifle. According to police, he carjacked a car and engaged in a chase with responding officers that led to neighboring Bossier Parish. There, officers apprehended the suspect. "Officers were forced to use their service weapons and neutralize the suspect," police said. S.E. was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to Mayor Tom Arceneaux, the perpetrator was allegedly related to both women he shot. The authorities assume that the crime was committed in a domestic setting, but a definitive motive has not yet been established.
The perpetrator's personal environment paints a contradictory picture. Family members reported that S.E. had recently been under strong emotional pressure. He had told his mother and stepfather that his marriage was about to end and that he was overwhelmed by "dark thoughts".
People in Louisiana are grieving after the shooting.
KEYSTONE
"Some people never come back from their demons," he is reported to have said. Other acquaintances told the media that he had acted like an inconspicuous family man until the end.
S.E. had previously served in the Louisiana National Guard for seven years without ever being deployed abroad. He had also had several criminal convictions, including for illegal possession of weapons.
The crime has deeply shaken the city of Shreveport, which has a population of around 180,000. "Our community is mourning the unimaginable loss of innocent children. There are no words to make this understandable," said Mayor Arceneaux. He called for more attention to be paid to underlying causes such as domestic violence and untreated trauma.
On Sunday evening, numerous people gathered for a vigil. They laid flowers and stuffed animals and lit candles in memory of the children who were killed. "You take your children in your arms and tell them how much you love them - because you never know," said one participant.
According to CNN, the case is considered the deadliest shooting in the US since January 2024, when a man shot eight people in a Chicago suburb. In total, more than 100 mass shootings have already been recorded in the USA this year. In Shreveport, the number of homicides has more than doubled as a result of the crime.
The investigation is ongoing. Police Chief Wayne Smith announced that he would soon be presenting further findings on the sequence of events and motive. In his 46 years of service, he has never experienced a tragedy of this magnitude.
*Name known to the editor
