Louisiana Man Kills 8 Children, Shoots His Wife & Another Woman

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Louisiana Man Kills 8 Children, Shoots His Wife & Another Woman/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ A Louisiana man fatally shot seven of his children and another child during a devastating family attack in Shreveport, police said. His wife and another woman were critically wounded, while one child survived after jumping from the roof. The suspect, identified as Shamar Elkins, died after fleeing and a police chase ended with officers opening fire.

People light candles during a prayer vigil for the victims of a mass shooting earlier in the day, Sunday, April 19, 2026, in Shreveport, La. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

A man holds a candle during a prayer vigil for the victims of a mass shooting earlier in the day, Sunday, April 19, 2026, in Shreveport, La. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Louisiana Man Kills 8 Children in Family Shooting Quick Looks

Eight children were killed in a mass family shooting in Shreveport, Louisiana
Victims included seven of the suspect’s children and another child
The children ranged in age from 3 to 11 years old
The suspect’s wife and another woman were critically wounded
One child survived after jumping from the roof of the home
Police identified the shooter as Shamar Elkins
Authorities said the couple was in the middle of a separation
The incident is among the deadliest U.S. mass shootings in recent years

Councilman Reverend James Green consoles people outside the scene of a mass shooting, Sunday, April 19, 2026, in Shreveport, La. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Council woman Tabatha Taylor, right, hugs an unknown person outside the scene of a mass shooting in Shreveport, La., Sunday, April 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Deep Look

Deadly Family Shooting Shocks Shreveport Community

A horrific family shooting in Shreveport, Louisiana, left eight children dead early Sunday, making it one of the deadliest mass shootings in the United States in recent years.

Authorities said the suspect, identified as Shamar Elkins, fatally shot seven of his own children along with another child during a violent attack that unfolded across two homes in the city.

His wife, who is the mother of the children, and another woman were both critically wounded during the shootings.

Police said Elkins later fled the scene, leading officers on a pursuit that ended with police opening fire. He died following that confrontation.

The scale of the tragedy left the community stunned and local officials struggling for words.

“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.”

Children Between Ages 3 and 11 Among Victims

Officials confirmed that the victims included three boys and five girls ranging in age from just 3 to 11 years old.

Police said another child managed to escape by jumping from the roof of the home and is expected to survive.

The devastating loss has shaken families, neighbors, and first responders who arrived at the scene.

Authorities also confirmed that Elkins’ nephew was among the children killed, according to the Caddo Parish coroner’s office.

The shootings unfolded inside a quiet residential neighborhood, turning what neighbors described as a normal family home into the center of unimaginable tragedy.

Violence Began Before Sunrise Across Two Homes

Investigators said the violence began before dawn Sunday when Elkins first shot a woman at one house located in a neighborhood south of downtown Shreveport.

He then traveled a few blocks away to another house where the children were located and began shooting, according to police.

Neighbors described hearing gunfire and seeing panic unfold in the early morning darkness.

Liza Demming, who lives two houses away from where most of the victims were found, said her home security system captured part of the terrifying scene.

“That’s pretty much all I saw, was him running out of the house and the cars leaving,” she said.

Later, she walked outside and saw the covered body of a child on the roof of the home.

That image has deeply affected the neighborhood as residents continue trying to process what happened.

State Rep. Tammy Phelps said some of the children tried desperately to escape through the back of the house.

“I can’t even imagine what the police officers, first responders actually dealt with when they got here today,” she said.

Separation and Family Tension Before the Attack

A relative said Elkins and his wife had been in the middle of a separation and were expected to appear in court Monday.

Crystal Brown, a cousin of one of the women shot in the attack, said the couple had been arguing over the separation before the violence erupted.

“He murdered his children,” Brown said.

Brown described the family as quiet, hardworking, and close-knit.

She said she was attending church Sunday morning when the pastor informed the congregation about the tragedy at the end of the service.

“They worked, came home, they stuck to themselves,” she said.

“Just an everyday family.”

The sudden violence has left loved ones searching for answers and mourning the loss of children remembered as happy and friendly.

Police Say No Recent Domestic Violence Reports

Investigators said they were not aware of any recent domestic violence complaints involving Elkins before the shooting.

Police spokesperson Chris Bordelon said there was no known recent history of domestic violence tied to the family.

Court records also showed that Elkins did not appear to have an extensive criminal background.

However, records indicate he was placed on probation in 2019 after pleading guilty to illegal use of weapons.

In that earlier case, police said Elkins fired five rounds at a vehicle and later told officers that someone inside had pulled a gun on him first.

Authorities are continuing to investigate what led to Sunday’s deadly attack and whether additional warning signs may have been missed.

Community Mourns One of City’s Worst Tragedies

As news of the shooting spread, mourners gathered outside the single-story home on 79th Street where most of the victims were found.

Flowers were placed near the house, while others lit candles during a vigil held in the parking lot of a nearby shopping plaza.

Neighbors embraced, cried, and remembered the children whose lives ended far too soon.

“It just makes you take your children and hug them and hold them and tell them how much you love them,” said Kimberlin Jackson, who attended the vigil.

Shreveport Mayor Tom Arceneaux described the massacre as one of the darkest moments in the city’s history.

“Maybe the worst tragic situation we’ve ever had,” he said.

Shreveport, a city of about 180,000 people in northwestern Louisiana, now faces the painful task of grieving and healing from a tragedy that has devastated the entire community.

According to a database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University, the Shreveport shooting is the deadliest mass shooting in the United States since January 2024, when eight people were killed in a Chicago suburb.