Mass shooting on the morning of Sunday, April 19, 2026, in Shreveport, Louisiana, 31-year-old Shamar Elkins killed eight children—seven of whom were his own—and seriously wounded two women. Authorities have described the massacre as a domestic violence incident stemming from a separation between Elkins and his wife.
Location: The violence occurred at two separate homes in the Cedar Grove neighborhood of Shreveport, primarily near West 79th Street and Harrison Street.
Timeline: The shooting began before sunrise, around 6:00 a.m. CT. Elkins first shot a woman at one residence before driving to a second location where he attacked the children.
Outcome: Following the shootings, Elkins carjacked a vehicle and led police on a high-speed chase into neighboring Bossier Parish, where he was fatally shot by law enforcement. Victims
Fatalities: Eight children ranging in age from 3 to 11 years old were killed.
Jayla Elkins (3)
Shayla Elkins (5)
Braylon Snow (5)
Kayla Pugh (6)
Khedarrion Snow (6)
Layla Pugh (7)
Markaydon Pugh (10)
Sariahh Snow (11)
Injuries: Two adult women, including the suspect's wife, were critically wounded. One teenage boy (13) survived after jumping from a roof to escape the gunman. Suspect Background
Shamar Elkins served in the Louisiana Army National Guard for seven years until 2020 but never deployed. While he had a prior firearms arrest in 2019, police were not aware of any recent domestic violence issues prior to this event. Relatives stated he had been struggling with mental health issues and was stressed by an upcoming court date regarding the separation from his wife.
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