A gunman in Louisiana killed eight children between the ages of 3 and 11 in domestic-related shootings at a home in the nation’s deadliest mass shooting in more than two years. Police in Shreveport said a total of 10 people were shot Sunday, including the gunman’s wife. Police spokesperson Chris Bordelon says the gunman, identified as Shamar Elkins, died after a chase with officers who fired at the suspect. The suspect had stolen a car while leaving the scene of the shootings.
Police said seven of the children killed were Elkin’s. Officials said they were still gathering details at crime scenes south of downtown Shreveport — two homes and a third location.
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Coroner’s office identifies children who were killed
The Caddo Parish Coroner’s Office released the identities of the seven child siblings and a cousin were who shot and killed Sunday. It also said the victims’ ages ranged from 3 to 11.
The children, who were identified by their mothers, include three boys and five girls, the office said in a statement late Sunday.
They were identified 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 office said autopsies were ordered for the victims.
Mother posted updates of growing family on social media
Shaneiqua Elkins frequently posted about her growing family, sharing photos and videos of recitals and academic achievements, including a daughter’s recognition as “most improved” student.
The photos also showed Shamar Elkins, often smiling alongside the children.
On Friday afternoon, less than 48 hours before the shooting, he shared a photo of a girl — whom he identified as his eldest daughter — alongside a lighthearted caption about their “lil 1 on 1 date.”
— By Jim Mustain
Elkins did not appear to have an extensive criminal history
But court records show he was placed on probation in 2019 after pleading guilty to illegal use of weapons.
In that case, Elkins told police that someone driving a vehicle pulled a gun on him “and then took off,” according to a police report.
Elkins ran into the street, brandished a 9mm handgun and fired five rounds at the fleeing vehicle, according to the report, which notes he was 280 feet away from a school and “shooting toward the school while children were playing outside.”
Bordelon identified the suspect Sunday evening as Shamar Elkins
Police say the gunman killed 7 of his own children and wounded their mother, as well as killing another child.
Shreveport police spokesperson Chris Bordelon said Sunday evening that the suspect shot the mother first and then killed eight children, seven of whom were his own.
The victims ranged in age from 1 to about 12 years old, and the mother and another woman are in critical condition, Bodelon said.
Bordelon said there was still much to investigate but detectives were confident the shooting was “entirely a domestic incident.”
Bordelon also said the suspect had been arrested in 2019 in a firearms case. He said police were not aware of any other domestic violence issues.
Gunman fatally shot 7 of his own children and another child in an attack, police say
Bordelon, the police spokesperson, says the children who were killed ranged in age from 1 to “about” 12 years old.
Police and other officials had said earlier Sunday those killed ranged in age from 1 to 14.
Bordelon says two adult females who were shot were in critical condition.
He also says the gunman was known to the police department but they were not aware of any other domestic violence issues.
A state official says some children tried to escape out the back door
That’s according to Democratic state Rep. Tammy Phelps, who represents Caddo Parish.
“I can’t even imagine what the police officers, first responders actually dealt with when they got here today,” she said at a news conference.
District attorney’s office: ’What began as a domestic dispute has ended in irreversible harm’
The Caddo Parish District Attorney’s office is emphasizing that the shootings show that “domestic violence is not a private matter” and that “this tragedy’s impact demands our collective attention.”
“This is not simply an event; it is a profound community loss,” it said, adding that domestic violence “is not a private matter” but rather “a community issue with far-reaching consequences, often affecting the most vulnerable among us — our children.”
The office said: “We see how quickly situations can escalate. We see how patterns of control, fear and instability can grow behind closed doors. And we know that intervention — whether through reporting, support services, or community awareness — can make a difference.”
It says that “this moment calls for more than grief. It calls for awareness, connection, and action.”
The office encouraged individuals experiencing domestic violence to reach out to local resources, some of which it listed in its statement.
“No one has to navigate these situations alone,” it said.
Police provide more details on the shootings and pursuit of suspect
Shreveport police said in a news release that the attacks began in a neighborhood south of downtown when the suspect shot a woman at one home and then drove to another home where the children were killed in what was described as “a violent domestic incident.”
Police say the suspect fled the scene and carjacked an adult male at gunpoint.
Officers spotted the vehicle and began a pursuit that continued into Bossier Parish, where the officers “ultimately engaged the suspect,” the statement said.
The officers, it said, “were forced to discharge their department-issued firearms, neutralizing the suspect, who was pronounced deceased at the scene.”
Coroner’s office says IDs of victims is pending
The Caddo Parish Coroner’s Office says in a statement that it was not yet releasing any of the children’s names because “scientific identification of the victims is still pending.” city in northwestern Louisiana with about 180,000 residents. “It’s a terrible morning.”
Neighbor says security camera captured video of suspect running away
Liza Demming, who lives two doors down from one of the shooting scenes, said her security camera captured video of the gunman running away toward a tire shop.
She said she could hear two shots on the audio.
“That’s’ pretty much all I saw, was him running out of the house,” she said.
Demming said she later saw one of the child victims, who had already been covered, laying on the roof of the house. But she said she never heard anything like a fight or argument.
“It was nothing loud, no altercations. It was quiet. Nothing,” she said.
Pastor who owns home where shootings occurred says he didn’t have dealings with the family
Pastor Marty T. Johnson Sr. of St. Gabriel Community Baptist Church owns the home where the shootings occurred but says that he doesn’t know the family who rented the home and never had dealings with them.
Johnson says a person who works for him had rented the home to the family.
He said all he knows is from what he’s heard from news reports and from neighbors but that he’s ready to do whatever he can to help.
“I do plan on having a prayer vigil for the family, and anything I can do, with so many children, to help them bury the children, I’m going to do so,” Johnson said.
“We’ve got to take our community back, and we will.”
Louisiana US representative: ‘There are no words’
That’s the reaction from U.S. Rep. Cleo Fields, a Democrat whose district includes part of Shreveport.
In a statement, Fields says he is praying for two women injured the shootings.
Fields also expressed support for the several law enforcement agencies that are conducting what he calls “an extensive and deeply painful investigation.”
“A crime scene spanning four locations, eight children gone ranging in age from just one to fourteen years old — there are no words,” Fields says.
“Shreveport is a resilient community, and we will get through this together.”
Former US Rep. Gabby Giffords: ‘All of us should be outraged’
“All of us should be outraged that we live in a country that routinely subjects our kids to such unimaginable violence,” said Giffords, who survived an assassination attempt in 2011.
“Our children have no option but to trust us to keep them safe, but our country is failing them every day,” she said in a statement. “Both Congress and Baton Rouge have a moral duty to do better. Our leaders must act—now.”
Giffords was shot in the head on Jan. 8, 2011, as she met with constituents at a grocery store in Tucson, Arizona. Six people were killed and a dozen injured in addition to Giffords.
She now advocates for gun control measures.
Police say shootings were result of a ‘domestic disturbance’
That’s according to Bordelon.
“This is an extensive scene unlike anything most of us have ever seen,” he said.
House Speaker Johnson reacts to shootings
“Heartbreaking tragedy in Shreveport this morning — 8 children were senselessly killed and multiple others were injured. My team is in touch with local law enforcement as more details emerge,” said U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, who is from Shreveport and represents part of northwest Louisiana.
“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,” Johnson said.
Gov. Jeff Landry says he and his wife are heartbroken
“We’re deeply grateful to the law enforcement officers and first responders working tirelessly on the scene,” Landry said in a statement.
State police say they’ve been asked to help investigate
In a statement, state police say no officers were harmed in the shooting that involved an officer after a police pursuit into Bossier City on Sunday morning.
State police are asking anyone with pictures, video or information to share it with state police detectives.
Police say shootings were result of a ‘domestic disturbance’
That’s according to police spokesperson Chris Bordelon.
“This is an extensive scene unlike anything most of us have ever seen,” he said.
It was the deadliest mass shooting in the US since 2024
That’s according to a database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University.
In January 2024, eight people were killed in a Chicago suburb.
Officials appear stunned at news conference in Shreveport
Officials appeared stunned outside the residence where one of the shootings occurred, requesting patience and prayers from the community as they sorted through multiple crime scenes.
“I just don’t know what to say, my heart is just taken aback,” Shreveport Police Chief Wayne Smith said. “I cannot begin to imagine how such an event could occur.”
“This is a tragic situation — maybe the worst tragic situation we’ve ever had,” said Tom Arceneaux, mayor of the city in northwestern Louisiana with about 180,000 residents. “It’s a terrible morning.”
