April 22, 2026

A Louisiana man has killed eight children, seven of them his own, in a mass shooting in Shreveport, Louisiana.

The fatal shooting occurred in the early hours of April 19, with police killing the alleged shooter, identified as Shamar Elkins, after a pursuit. During Elkins’ killing spree, 10 victims were hit with bullets, including two adult women, as stated by the Shreveport Police Department at a news conference.

However, nearly all of the fatalities were his biological children, with the additional child identified as one of their cousins. According to information from the coroner’s office obtained by CBS News, the slain children’s ages ranged from 3 to 11. The mothers identified the children 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. 

A police report further detailed how the man initially shot one woman before going to another home and fatally killing eight people inside. One of the victims managed to escape to a nearby residence to call the police.

The police confirmed the incident as a domestic case. At the same time, the family’s relative told the Associated Press that both of the women shot were the mothers of the suspected shooter’s children. The relative recalled that he and his wife were due in court that Monday over their pending separation.

Shreveport police detailed that, following the gunfire, Elkins attempted to flee the scene by carjacking a vehicle. However, the police chase ended with open fire, leaving the Louisiana man dead. Elkins’ past includes a 2019 guilty plea to a weapons-related charge. He previously spent seven years in the Louisiana Army National Guard as both a signal support system and fire support specialist until 2020, according to Army records.

Source: Louisiana Man Kills 8 Children, 7 Of His Own, In Mass Shooting