A man killed eight children, seven of whom were his own, and wounded two adults in Shreveport, La., on Sunday before dying in a confrontation with the police, officials said.
The killings left relatives, friends and city officials struggling to process the devastating toll. Mayor Tom Arceneaux of Shreveport described the killings in a news conference as “maybe the worst tragic situation we’ve ever had.”
The police have not offered a possible motive, and their investigation is ongoing. Here’s what we know about the killings.
What happened?
The killings occurred during a shooting spree that spanned at least three locations in the city in northwestern Louisiana, the police said. Officers responded to a report of a shooting just after 6 a.m. at one residence. Later, they said that there was another crime scene at a second residence.
The children who were killed ranged in age from 3 to 11, officials said, adding that there were three boys and five girls. They were identified by the coroner for Caddo Parish 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 police identified the gunman as Shamar Elkins, 31, and said he was the father of seven of the eight dead children. Mr. Elkins also shot and wounded two other adults, including his wife, Shaneiqua Pugh, who was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries, the police said.
After the shootings, Mr. Elkins carjacked a vehicle, and police officers pursued him before opening fire, officials said. It was unclear if officers killed Mr. Elkins, or if he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Who was the gunman?
Mr. Elkins’s relatives said he worked for UPS. Willie Vasher, who used to work at UPS with Mr. Elkins, said in an interview with The Times that his children had been friends with the Elkins children. The only thing that stuck out to him about Mr. Elkins was that he often appeared stressed, he said.
The Army said in a statement that Mr. Elkins had served in the Louisiana Army National Guard from August 2013 to August 2020 as a signal support system specialist and a fire support specialist. He did not deploy overseas, and left the Army as a private.
Records show that Mr. Elkins had at least two prior criminal convictions, including for driving while intoxicated in 2016 and for the illegal use of weapons in 2019.
In a police description of the March 2019 incident, an officer wrote that Mr. Elkins had pulled a 9-millimeter handgun out of his waistband and shot at a vehicle five times after the driver of the car had pulled a handgun on him. One of the bullets that Mr. Elkins fired was found near a school where children were playing outside, the officer said.
What did the gunman’s family say about him?
Mr. Elkins had expressed suicidal thoughts recently, according to family members who spoke with The Times.
On Easter Sunday, Mr. Elkins called his mother, Mahelia Elkins, and his stepfather, Marcus Jackson, who live in Oklahoma. Ms. Elkins and Mr. Jackson said in interviews that their son sounded despondent. They said they could hear his children playing in the background during the call.
Mr. Elkins told them through tears that he wanted to take his own life. He told Mr. Jackson that might be getting a divorce, and that he was drowning in “dark thoughts.” Records show that Mr. Elkins and his wife married in 2024.
“I told him, ‘You can beat stuff, man. I don’t care what you’re going through, you can beat it,’” Mr. Jackson said. “Then I remember him telling me: ‘Some people don’t come back from their demons.’”
Johnny Diaz contributed reporting. Georgia Gee contributed research.
Eduardo Medina is a Times reporter covering the South. An Alabama native, he is now based in Durham, N.C.
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