NEWTOWN, Conn. – Eight children were murdered and two adult women were critically injured after a 31-year-old male committed a mass shooting at two homes in Shreveport, Louisiana. The deceased victims include three boys and five girls, all between the ages of 3 to 11 years old. The shooter was later killed in an altercation with police.
Authorities described the shooting as a domestic incident, and said the suspect is the father of seven of the eight children who were killed. They had previously pled guilty to a weapons charge in 2019 and served probation.
According to the Associated Press, this incident is the deadliest mass shooting nationwide in more than two years. Firearms are the leading cause of death for children and teens in Louisiana, based on the most recent available finalized data from CDC. Additionally, there have been at least seven mass shootings in Louisiana since the start of 2026 in which four or more people were killed, excluding the shooter.
In response to yesterday’s attack, Nicole Hockley, co-founder and CEO of Sandy Hook Promise and mother of Dylan who was killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy, issued the following statement:
“This is a heartless act of harm and betrayal committed by someone that should have been a protector to those children. There are no words that could bring any comfort after a loss so horrifying. No family and no community should ever have to know such profound trauma. We stand with the survivors, their loved ones, and the community of Shreveport in condemning this heinous act, and in demanding a future where children are no longer bearing the threat of being shot – especially in their homes.
“Research shows us that gun violence is the number one killer of children in the United States, but there’s another appalling reality that often goes overlooked. Most children who die in mass shootings are killed by family members. Domestic violence is a major threat to our nation’s youth – but it does not have to be this way. Violence is preventable when you know the signs and get help if you believe there is immediate danger. Federal law prohibits abusers from owning guns when they’re the subject of a domestic violence restraining order. Extreme risk protection orders (ERPOs, aka “temporary transfer”) are another legal tool that can temporarily separate firearms from an individual experiencing a crisis. Critical steps like these can save young lives and prevent tragedies.”
For more information about gun violence prevention, domestic violence facts, resources for how communities can heal after a tragedy, and information about ways to support life-saving firearm access policies, please visit sandyhookpromise.org.
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Sandy Hook Promise (SHP) envisions a future where all children are free from school shootings and other acts of violence. As a national nonprofit organization, SHP’s mission is to educate and empower youth and adults to prevent violence in schools, homes, and communities. Creators of the life-saving, evidence-informed “Know the Signs” prevention programs, SHP teaches the warning signs of someone who may be in crisis, socially isolated, or at-risk of hurting themselves or others and how to get help. SHP also advances school safety, youth mental health, and responsible gun ownership at the state and federal levels through nonpartisan policy and partnerships. SHP is led by several family members whose loved ones were killed in the tragic mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14, 2012.
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Nick Dmitrovich | [email protected] | 203-304-9780 Ext. 279