Louisiana man kills eight children in South Shreveport mass shooting

A domestic-violence call in South Shreveport turned into a mass killing that left eight children dead, two adult women wounded and a community searching for what, if anything, could have stopped it. Police identified the suspect as Shamar Elkins, who fled after the killings, stole a vehicle and was later shot and killed by officers in neighboring Bossier Parish.

The violence began just after 6 a.m. Sunday in Cedar Grove, in South Shreveport, and spread across multiple locations, including two nearby homes and a third scene. Police said Elkins first shot a woman on Harrison Street before going to a home on West 79th Street, where the children were killed. Investigators said one child was found outside the residence, apparently after trying to escape through the back or roof area. Authorities said the scene was so large that processing it would take hours.

The Caddo Parish Coroner’s Office 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. Officials said three were boys and five were girls. Seven were Elkins’ own children, and the eighth was a cousin. Police said 10 people were struck by gunfire in all, including two adult women who were seriously wounded and a teenager who was injured but not critically.

Louisiana State Police are investigating the officer-involved shooting that killed Elkins after the car chase. The killings immediately drew a wave of state and federal response. Shreveport Mayor Tom Arceneaux said the city may be facing its worst tragedy ever. Gov. Jeff Landry said he and his wife, Sharon, were heartbroken and praying for everyone affected. U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson said his office was in touch with law enforcement, while Attorney General Liz Murrill said multiple agencies were involved in the investigation.

The shooting also pushed domestic violence back to the center of the city’s public debate. City Councilman Grayson Boucher said more than 30% of crimes in Shreveport, and 30% of its murders, are domestic in nature. That context has taken on new urgency after a case in which a family home became the site of one of the deadliest mass shootings in the United States since January 2024.