Police in Shreveport, US city responded to reports of gunfire early on Sunday and discovered a domestic disturbance that left eight children dead across multiple homes.
Officers arrived in the Cedar Grove area just after 6am following calls about shots fired.
They found scenes at two homes on the same street and a third location nearby.
The victims, all children aged between one and 14, lost their lives in the incident.
Two women also suffered critical injuries.
Authorities described the event as domestic in nature.
Some of the children appear to have had family ties to the man involved.
A total of ten people received gunshot wounds during the events.
The suspect, an adult male, left the area after the shootings and stole a car.
Police pursued the vehicle, which led them into nearby Bossier City.
Officers then engaged the man, and he died from gunshot wounds during the confrontation.
Shreveport police spokesperson Chris Bordelon confirmed the details at a news conference.
Investigators continue to gather evidence at the scenes while they work to establish the full sequence of events.
No names of the victims or the suspect have been released so far.
Local officials, including the mayor and city council members, visited the neighbourhood and spoke with residents.
Community leaders expressed sorrow over the loss of so many young lives in one morning.
This marks one of the deadliest incidents of its kind in the United States in more than two years.
Police say they believe the man acted alone and that the disturbance began within a family context before it spread.
Residents in the area described a quiet Sunday morning that turned chaotic when emergency services arrived in force.
Support teams have reached out to affected families as the city begins to come to terms with what happened.
Further updates will follow as the investigation progresses.
