Eight Children Killed in Louisiana Mass Shooting
A northwestern Louisiana community is in mourning after a mass shooting early Sunday morning left eight children dead and two women critically injured. Authorities identified the gunman as 31-year-old Shamar Elkins, who engaged in a violent rampage before being killed by law enforcement.
The tragedy, which police are calling “entirely a domestic incident,” is the deadliest mass shooting in the United States since January 2024.
How the shooting unfolded
Police were first alerted about the shooting just after 5 a.m. on Sunday. Investigators believe Elkins initiated the attack at a home on Harrison Street in Shreveport, where he shot his wife. He then traveled to a second residence on West 79th Street. There, he killed the eight children, seven of whom were his own children, and wounded another woman, who is the mother of the eighth child.
As the violence unfolded, a 13-year-old boy managed to escape by jumping from the roof of the home. He sustained broken bones but is expected to survive. Following the shooting, the suspect carjacked a vehicle and fled. Police pursued him into Bossier Parish, where officers ultimately shot and killed him.
Shreveport Police Department spokesperson Chris Bordelon described the scene as “an extensive scene, unlike anything most of us have ever seen.”
Who were the victims?
The children killed in the attack ranged from 3 to 11 years old. The Caddo Parish Coroner's office identified the victims 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 two wounded women, one of whom is the mother of the suspect's children, remain in critical condition.
What we know about Elkins
While the investigation is ongoing, family members indicated that Elkins was struggling with his impending divorce from his wife, Shaneiqua Pugh, who he married two years ago. Records show Elkins had served in the Louisiana Army National Guard as a signal support system specialist and a fire support specialist from 2013 to 2020 but was never deployed. He also had a criminal history, including a 2019 arrest involving carrying and using a firearm near a school and for driving while intoxicated in 2016.
“The worst tragic situation we’ve ever had in Shreveport."
Local leaders have struggled to make sense of the loss. Shreveport Mayor Tom Arceneaux stated, "This is a tragic situation - maybe the worst tragic situation we’ve ever had in Shreveport. We have hurting families, we have hurting police officers, coroners' personnel. This affects the entire community, so we all mourn with these families."
Addressing the broader implications of the violence, the Mayor urged the public to consider systemic factors: "We must not ignore the deeper issues – violence in the home, untreated trauma, and the silence that allows both to grow."
Police Chief Wayne Smith promised a thorough investigation, telling the public, "We are going to be working diligently however long it takes to get some answers to what has taken place."
House Speaker Mike Johnson, who represents the Shreveport area in Congress, offered his condolences to the grieving city, saying: "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."
