Cassidy Pays Tribute to Eight Children Killed in Shreveport Shooting

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) delivered a speech on the U.S. Senate floor honoring the eight young lives lost in a tragic act of violence in Shreveport.

"All of us have experienced someone in our life who has died, but the murder of a child defies comprehension," said Dr. Cassidy.

"We pray for the families, for the communities, that they can recover as much as families and communities can recover from something so horrific," continued Dr. Cassidy.

Cassidy's remarks as prepared for delivery are below:

All of us have experienced someone in our life who has died, but the murder of a child defies comprehension.

It can't be measured, understood, or compared to anything else.

It is, in a word, awful.

But today, the Shreveport community in Louisiana grieves the loss of eight children.

A man shot seven of his own, and a cousin, between the ages of three and 11.

He shot the mothers.

I'm told they're hospitalized in serious condition, but expected to survive.

A 13-year-old was injured jumping off a roof to escape.

Now I asked my people in my office: Why do we grieve so much?

People die all the time.

And I think what we agreed upon is that they look to their parents for protection, and not to be killed.

And it is, if you will, a sacrifice of a sacred bond between a parent and a child.

And of course, when that comes to mind-what is sacred?

And then also, when we read of these dying, we think of our own children, and we feel protective of them.

And we know no matter how much emotion we feel, they died.

Now we thank the officers who acted quickly and bravely to pursue the shooter and stop him from doing it again.

We pray for the families, for the communities, that they can recover as much as families and communities can recover from something so horrific.

Madam President, I request a moment of silence for these eight young souls, for Shreveport, for us all.

I yield the floor.

###