A man in the US state of Louisiana killed eight children aged one to 14 and wounded two women on Sunday in Shreveport, a city in the state’s northwest. Seven of the eight children killed were the man’s own, while one of the two women shot was the mother of some of his children.

Officials said detectives the suspect and shot him dead after attempted to carjack an escape car. They identified the man who killed the eight children in a mass shooting as Shamar Elkins

Authorities described the April 19 shooting as a domestic violence incident. Police spokesperson Christopher Bordelon shared that seven of the eight children who were killed were Shamar’s, and the suspect’s wife and a woman believed to be his girlfriend were also shot and seriously injured, per NBC News and KSLA. The eighth child was believed to have been a family friend.

The Caddo Parish Coroner’s Office identified the eight children killed in the incident as Jayla Elkins, 3, Shayla Elkins, 5, Kayla Pugh, 6, Layla Pugh, 7, Markaydon Pugh, 10, Sariahh Snow, 11, Khedarrion Snow, 6 and Braylon Snow, 5, according to KSLA.

The shooting happened around 6 a.m. local time (1100 GMT).

Police spokesperson Christopher Bordelon said that Shamar – who was killed by police after he fled in a carjacked vehicle – was the father of seven of the eight children who were killed

Police in Shreveport shared at a press conference on Sunday, April 19, that the suspect – identified as Shamar Elkins – shot 10 total people, including two adults, before being killed by police after he fled in a carjacked vehicle.

The man first shot a woman at one home before driving to another location, where he killed seven children, said Christopher Bordelon, a spokesperson for the Shreveport Police Department.

Police shot and killed the man during a pursuit after he carjacked a vehicle and fled, Bordelon said.

The man was arrested in 2019 in a firearms case and was not a stranger to the police. The police believe that the shooting was “entirely a domestic incident,” though there is still much to investigate.

“I just don’t know what to say. My heart is just taken aback,” Shreveport Police Chief Wayne Smith said, according to NBC News. “I just cannot begin to imagine how such an event can occur.”

The local outlet also reported that a ninth child, a 13-year-old boy, reportedly jumped off the roof of the home and was able to get away, although he sustained some broken bones. Authorities first responded to the shooting in Shreveport, which took place just after 6am local time on Sunday, and found 10 people who had been shot.

In a press conference, Bordelon said the crime scene was “very large” and spanned two residences.

Police said the incident started on Harrison Street, where Shamar’s wife was shot. Shamar then reportedly went to the second home involved on W. 79th Street near Linwood and shot the second woman, as well as the children.

According to Bordelon, the shooter fled the scene and carjacked a vehicle, prompting a police chase. Police pursued the stolen vehicle to Bossier Parish. There, they ultimately discharged their weapons, killing the suspect.

“Officers were forced to discharge their department-issued firearms, neutralising the suspect,” police said in a statement, per NBC News.

Bordelon said that it appeared that many of the children were shot in their sleep, and most of them were shot in the head. Shamar’s wife was also shot in the face, the outlets reported.

“It is a disgusting and evil scene,” Bordelon said.

Freddie and Marie Montgomery, who live across the street from the house where the children were killed, told NBC News that they did not know the family well, as they had only moved in about six months prior.

“When they brought all those kids out of that house, that’s just the worst thing I ever seen,” Marie Montgomery said, recalling that scene at 6:30am on Sunday.

Freddie Montgomery recounted seeing a man in the front yard of the house and the children playing outside on the day before the tragedy. He said he waved at the man, and the man waved back.

“When we found out what had actually happened over there, it was just a shock,” he said. “There is no sense in this.”

Police said Shamar’s motive is still under investigation, according to the outlets

• A Tell Media / Xinhua report / Additional reporting by People