NEW YORK -- Eight children aged from one to 14 were killed Sunday in a mass shooting in Shreveport, a city in the northwestern part of US state of Louisiana, local police said.

The shooting occurred around 6 am local time (1100 GMT), when officers with the Shreveport Police Department responded to reports of a "domestic disturbance," police spokesperson Christopher Bordelon told a news briefing, describing the crime scene as "extensive," as it spans two homes in the area and a third nearby.

The children were among 10 people shot during the incident. The suspect allegedly performed a carjacking in close proximity, before the police officers got behind his vehicle. He was later shot and killed during the chase, said the spokesperson.

The police believe the suspect is the only one that fired gunshots at the three locations, and some of the children in the homes were "his descendants." The motive for the shooting is not clear at this time, said the spokesperson.

The investigation into the shooting is still ongoing.