The suspect, who was the father of seven of the children, was killed after a vehicle chase, police said. The slain children were 3 to 11 years old, authorities said.

SHREVEPORT, La. — A man in Louisiana killed eight children Sunday in a shooting that authorities described as a domestic violence incident and was later killed by police after he fled in a carjacked vehicle, officials said.

The suspect’s wife and a woman believed to be his girlfriend were also shot and seriously injured in the violence, which occurred at two homes in the early morning, Shreveport police said.

The children killed were three boys and five girls, ages 3 to 11, the Caddo Parish Coroner’s Office said. Police had previously given their ages as about 1 to 14.

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

Police identified Shamar Elkins as the shooter and sole suspect. Seven of the eight children who were killed were his, police spokesperson Christopher Bordelon said. One of the children was a cousin, according to the coroner’s office.

Their mothers identified the children 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, the office said.

A crying woman covers her mouth with one hand.Two people react near the scene of the shooting in Shreveport, La., on Sunday.Gerald Herbert / AP

Shreveport police officers responded to the 300 block of West 79th Street just after 6 a.m. following reports of a domestic disturbance, police said. Bordelon described the crime scene as “extensive.”

The gunman first shot a woman on nearby Harrison Street before he headed to the home on West 79th Street, where he killed all the children, police said.

The gunman fled and carjacked a person at gunpoint near the intersection of Linwood Avenue and West 79th Street, police said.

Officers shot and killed the suspect in neighboring Bossier Parish after a pursuit, police said.

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

Louisiana State Police are investigating the shooting of the suspect. Shreveport police said nothing suggests any wrongdoing by officers.

Five law enforcement officials standing together outside a residential building.