Charles Ford Arrested for Supplying Rifle Shamar Elkins Used to Kill Eight Children in Shreveport

A Louisiana man, Charles Ford of Shreveport, La., was arrested and charged in connection with the mass shooting that killed eight children and critically wounded two adults in Shreveport over the weekend, according to the New York Times and multiple local and federal reporting.

“You Browser Working London Working www”

AsatuNews.co.id

The New York Times said the arrest came “two days after a gunman carried out a rampage that left eight children dead in Shreveport and injured two adults,” and it identified the gunman as Shamar Elkins.

Boston Herald

The Times reported that Ford was charged with possessing a firearm as a felon and making a false statement to a federal agent when asked about a weapon used to commit the shootings.

Fox34 likewise said the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana charged 56-year-old Charles Ford with felon in possession of a firearm and making false statements to federal agents, and it tied those charges to the rifle Elkins reportedly used.

KADN News 15 also reported that federal prosecutors charged Charles Ford, 56, with illegal gun possession and making false statements to federal agents, saying Ford gave the rifle to Shamar Elkins, 31.

NBC News added that Ford “initially lied to authorities about having the gun” and later admitted he had the gun and believed Elkins took it, citing an affidavit in support of a criminal complaint.

Across outlets, the central allegation is that Ford provided the firearm that Elkins used during a multi-scene domestic rampage in Shreveport, and that Ford’s conduct after the shooting involved false statements to federal investigators.

The shooting itself is described as a rampage that spanned at least three locations in Shreveport, with the New York Times reporting that eight children ages 3 to 11 were killed Sunday and that the gunman later died in a confrontation with police.

The Times said Elkins was the father of seven of the eight slain children and that he “also shot and wounded two others, including his wife, who was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries.”

Fox News

It further reported that after the shooting, Elkins carjacked a vehicle and officers pursued him before opening fire, and it noted that it was unclear whether officers had killed Elkins or if he had died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Fox34 and NBC News both described the federal case as focusing on how Elkins secured the firearm, with Fox34 stating that court documents show Shreveport Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives started investigating a firearms trace of the rifle Elkins reportedly used.

USA Today specified the date of the federal action, saying federal authorities arrested and charged Charles Ford, 56, on Tuesday, April 21, and it described the charges as relating to the weapon Elkins used to kill eight children on April 19.

USA Today also reported that Elkins died during a confrontation with police and that it was “not yet clear whether it was suicide or he was shot by officers,” echoing the uncertainty described by the New York Times.

In court-related reporting, USA Today said Ford appeared in court on Tuesday, when he was appointed a public defender and a detention hearing was set for April 24.

Multiple outlets also described the potential penalties: Fox34 said Ford faces up to 15 years in federal prison for the possession charge and up to five years for the false statement charge, and Shreveport Times similarly said Ford faces up to 15 years and up to five years.

Taken together, the reporting places the alleged gun-supply conduct in the lead-up to the April 19 attack and frames the federal charges as a separate case about illegal possession and false statements to federal agents.

Several outlets described the alleged chain of custody and the investigative steps that led to Ford’s arrest, centering on a firearms trace and interviews with the original purchaser.

“Skip to main content Press Release Shreveport Man Arrested and Charged in Connection with Shamar Elkins Securing Firearm to Commit Mass Shooting Tuesday, April 21, 2026 Share”

Department of Justice (.gov)

Fox34 said that when law enforcement first talked to the original purchaser of the gun, that person identified Ford as the person she’d given the weapon to, and it reported that Ford, a convicted felon not legally allowed to have a gun, initially lied to ATF agents about being in possession of the gun.

Fox34 further said Ford later reportedly admitted he did have possession of the gun, claiming he kept it under his seat in his truck, and it added that Ford allegedly said he believed Elkins had taken possession of the rifle.

Boston Herald reported that Charles Ford told investigators he believes Shamar Elkins stole the assault-style gun from his truck in the weeks before the rampage, and it said Ford told investigators it was around March 9 when he noticed the gun was missing.

Boston Herald also quoted the affidavit’s description of Ford confronting Elkins, saying that when Elikns became “offensive,” Ford “let it go,” according to a court affidavit filed Tuesday.

NBC News provided additional detail about the interviews, saying a woman told federal authorities that she gave Ford the gun “while she was in the hospital last year,” and it stated that Ford denied this during an interview Monday with ATF agents.

NBC News then described a follow-up interview in which the affidavit states Ford admitted to keeping the pistol in his truck and said he noticed it was gone on March 9 and believed Elkins stole the weapon.

USA Today added a specific technical identification, saying the ATF trace identified the gun used in the shooting as a “.22-caliber Mossberg 715P long rifle,” and it reported that ATF Special Agent Christina Curtis learned the woman originally bought the gun on Feb. 22, 2025.

Across these accounts, the federal case is built around Ford’s alleged possession, his alleged false statements to ATF, and the timeline Ford gave about when he noticed the gun missing.

Federal prosecutors and law enforcement officials framed the case as one that extends accountability beyond the person who fired the weapon, while community members gathered to grieve and call for healing.

In a press release quoted by Fox34, U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller said, “Words fall short in the face of the acts Shamar Elkins perpetrated in Shreveport on April 19—they are beyond comprehension or description.”

KSLA

Keller continued, “Our law enforcement partners are investigating every angle of how this tragedy came to occur, and this case arises from that investigation—in particular, how Elkins secured a firearm that he used to execute his own children,” and he added, “Elkins’ death means that our community will never see him face justice.”

Fox34 also quoted ATF Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson saying, “Holding people accountable does not stop with the person who pulled the trigger but also includes those who give access to and proliferate firearms that are later used in violent crime.”

Meanwhile, KADN News 15 described a prayer vigil held two days after the shooting, with the gathering taking place on the same street where the violence occurred.

KADN News 15 quoted Satonia Small saying, “Heart wrenching and they overwhelmed. So, what are we going to do? We're going to go. We don't care. To God. We don't love on each other. We going love on this family,” and it quoted Betenia Bolden explaining, “You see churches, you see nonprofit, you see mental health agencies who are out here. So, this is a stance that we're taking to let the community know that you are not alone.”

The same report said most attendees brought “bright colored bears and balloons” to honor the eight children ages three to 11, and it included Sherterica Butler’s statement, “It's so heartbreaking. It's is very sad. I hate to come under these circumstances, but I did know I had to show some type of support to the family.”

KADN News 15 also reported that Gov. Jeff Landry said the funeral expenses of the children will be paid for by the Love One Louisiana Foundation.

In parallel with federal charges, the reporting shows the case’s immediate public impact in Shreveport, where officials’ statements and community rituals unfolded alongside the arrest of the alleged gun supplier.

The arrest of Charles Ford sets up a federal process that multiple outlets described in terms of court appearances, detention decisions, and ongoing investigation into the firearm’s trace.

“A Shreveport man has been arrested for allegedly providing the gun used in the mass shooting that left eight children dead”

KADN News 15

USA Today said Ford appeared in court on Tuesday and that he was appointed a public defender, with a detention hearing set for April 24 when “a judge will decide whether he should be held pending the case.”

NBC News

Fox34 reported that Ford faces up to 15 years in federal prison for the possession charge and up to five years for the false statement charge, and it described the case as arising from a firearms trace investigation that began with Shreveport Police and ATF.

Shreveport Times likewise said the United States Attorney’s Office announced Tuesday, April 21, that Charles Ford, 56, was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and false statement charges relating to the firearm that Shamar Elkins used to kill eight children.

NBC News added that court records did not list an attorney to speak on Ford’s behalf, and it said Ford later admitted he had the gun and believed Elkins took it, according to an affidavit in support of a criminal complaint.

KADN News 15 said U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy told reporters Elkins had a past conviction in a firearms case and wasn't legally allowed to possess a gun, and it also confirmed Elkins was an Army National Guard veteran who recently sought mental health treatment through Veterans Affairs.

In addition to the federal case against Ford, the reporting described the broader investigative posture: Fox34 said the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives started investigating a firearms trace of the rifle Elkins reportedly used, and KLFY and KSLA both said ATF and the Shreveport Police Department began investigating a firearms trace on the rifle.

The New York Times also said the police have not offered a possible motive and that their investigation is ongoing.

As the legal timeline moves toward April 24, the case’s stakes remain tied to the alleged illegal possession and false statements that prosecutors say helped Elkins secure the firearm used in the April 19 killings.