US3 min(s) read
Published 09:19 20 Apr 2026 GMT
Everything we know as Louisiana gunman kills 8 kids including 7 of his own in mass shooting
A family member fatally shot eight children, most as they were sleeping, on Sunday morning.
Seven of them were the children of a murderous 31-year-old father and army veteran Shamar Elkins; the other child was the children’s cousin.
Two women, the mothers of his children, were also seriously injured by Elkins in the rampage, with one sustaining life-threatening injuries.
At the scene in Shreveport, Louisiana, cops found seven of the children, aged between three and 11, in one house, while the eighth child was killed as they tried to escape from the roof at the back of the house.
Shreveport Police Department spokesman Christopher Bordelon claims the frenzied father used a small-caliber handgun for the initial killings, but was carrying a “rifle-style pistol” when he was apprehended.
The disturbing crime scenes in Louisiana, which spanned two homes on one street and another nearby, were described by cops as “extensive” and “unlike anything most of us have ever seen”.
Who were the victims?
Tragically, the killer veteran shot his wife, with whom he shared four kids, at the home with the children and the mother of three of his kids at a separate home nearby, according to a relative who spoke to the Associated Press.
Reportedly, one of the surviving victims’ cousins, Crystal Brown, said that Elkins and his wife were in the process of formally separating and were due in court on Monday. She claimed that it was during an argument about their separation that Elkins opened fire.
How did he try to escape?
In the aftermath of the shootings, the gunman hijacked a car and attempted to flee to neighboring Bossier City, where he had a connection to an address.
Cops shot Elkins during his attempted escape.
“The individual responsible, once leaving this scene, performed a carjacking right here in close proximity to the corner of West 79th and Linwood, at which point in time, Shreveport police patrol officers got behind that vehicle in a chase incident,” Bordelon said.
The city’s Mayor, Tom Arceneaux, described the shooting as one of the worst tragedies in the city’s history.
“This is a tragic situation — maybe the worst tragic situation we’ve ever had,” the mayor told a news conference.
“It’s a terrible morning, and we all mourn for the victims,” he said.
US House Speaker Mike Johnson, who was born in Shreveport and represents the city in Congress, also offered his condolences.
“We’re holding the victims, their families and loved ones, and our Shreveport community close in our thoughts and prayers during this incredibly difficult time. And we are grateful to the Shreveport, Bossier, and Louisiana State Police for their swift response,” he wrote on X.