Eight children, with ages ranging from 1 to 14, were killed in Shreveport, Louisiana, in the latest mass shooting in the US, and the suspected gunman was later fatally shot by police during a vehicle chase on Sunday, local authorities said.

Shreveport Police Department spokesperson Christopher Bordelon said at a news conference that some of the children were related to the suspected gunman, and that the shootings occurred in three residences. At least 10 people total were shot, he said but did not provide details on the survivors.

The shooting occurred just after 6 am on Sunday and is considered a domestic disturbance, Bordelon said. The suspected gunman carjacked a vehicle after the shooting and died after police fired at the vehicle during a chase that went into neighboring Bossier Parish, Bordelon added.

Louisiana State Police are investigating the officer-involved shooting of this individual, spokesperson Kate Stegall said. Bordelon said the name of the suspected gunman would be released once the department has notified families of the victims.

“We do know that some of the children inside were his descendants,” Bordelon said. “This is a tragic situation, maybe the worst tragic situation we’ve ever had,” Shreveport Mayor Tom Arceneaux said.

US House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson, a Shreveport native, posted on social media that his team was in touch with local police about the “heartbreaking tragedy”. Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry posted to social media that he and his wife “are heartbroken over this horrific situation.”