U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy delivered a speech on the Senate floor on April 21, paying tribute to eight children who were killed in a recent act of violence in Shreveport.
The incident involved a man who shot seven of his own children and a cousin, all between the ages of three and eleven. The mothers were also shot and remain hospitalized in serious condition but are expected to survive. A thirteen-year-old was injured while trying to escape by jumping off a roof. Cassidy said, “All of us have experienced someone in our life who has died, but the murder of a child defies comprehension.”
Cassidy addressed the emotional impact such events have on families and communities. He said, “We pray for the families, for the communities, that they can recover as much as families and communities can recover from something so horrific.” He also thanked law enforcement officers for their quick response in pursuing and stopping the shooter.
According to the official website, Cassidy co-founded the Greater Baton Rouge Community Clinic to deliver free health and dental care. He has also worked with his wife, a retired breast cancer surgeon, raising three children together and spending time with their grandchild. His background includes earning undergraduate and medical degrees from Louisiana State University.
Cassidy serves on several Senate committees including Finance, Energy and Natural Resources, and Veterans Affairs according to his official website. In addition to legislative work addressing health care costs and coastal restoration efforts according to his official website, he continues initiatives focused on mental health system reform.
Concluding his remarks about the tragedy in Shreveport, Cassidy requested a moment of silence for those lost: “Madam President, I request a moment of silence for these eight young souls, for Shreveport, for us all.”
