Shamar Elkins Kills Eight Children in Shreveport Louisiana Shooting Across Two Houses

In Shreveport, Louisiana, a father identified as 31-year-old Shamar Elkins killed eight children, including seven of his own, in an early morning attack that stretched across two houses in a neighborhood south of downtown, police said.

“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”

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The Associated Press reported that the attack began before sunrise, when the suspect shot a woman at one home and then drove to the other location “where this heinous act was carried out.”

2 News Nevada

AP said seven children were killed inside the second house, while one child was found dead on the roof after apparently trying to escape, and another child jumped off the roof and was expected to survive after being taken to a hospital.

The BBC reported that officers said the shooting began about 05:00 (10:00 GMT) on Sunday, and that after attacking the children at a property, the suspect drove away in a stolen car before officers chased and killed him.

CNN described the rampage as “domestic in nature,” with Shreveport police Cpl. Chris Bordelon saying the violence was “domestic in nature,” and it said Elkins shot his wife, another woman, and eight children at two separate homes.

NBC News said police responded to the 300 block of West 79th Street just after 6 a.m. following reports of a domestic disturbance, and it described the gunman first shooting a woman on nearby Harrison Street before heading to West 79th Street where he killed all the children.

Multiple outlets also described the suspect’s death after a pursuit, with AP saying Elkins died after a police pursuit that ended with officers firing on him, and the BBC saying officers chased and killed him after he attempted to flee.

Authorities and family members described the victims and the sequence of calls and movements during the shooting.

The BBC said the children—siblings and one cousin—were three boys and five girls, aged between three to 11, and it listed the Caddo Parish coroner’s office identifications 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.

20 Minutes

CNN reported that the youngest victim, Jayla Elkins, was just 3 years old, and it said the other children killed were Shayla Elkins, 5; Kayla Pugh, 6; Layla Pugh, 7; Markaydon Pugh, 10; Sariahh Snow, 11; Khedarrion Snow, 6; and Braylon Snow, 5, according to the Caddo Parish Coroner’s Office.

CNN also provided a minute-by-minute account: it said just before 6 a.m. Shreveport police received a call from someone on the roof of a house on West 79th Street, and it quoted Shreveport Police Chief Wayne Smith saying the caller stated “the suspect, identified as Shamar Elkins, had shot everyone inside the home at 6 a.m.”

CNN said that one minute later, the caller advised that she and her children had fled from the roof and were now in the backyard, and that 6:01 a.m. officers arrived on the scene.

CNN then said that by 6:10 a.m. authorities realized the shootings were connected, and around 6:15 a.m. Elkins carjacked a vehicle and led authorities on a chase into Bossier Parish.

The BBC said officers then chased and killed him, and it reported that a ninth child was taken to hospital after jumping from the roof of the home while escaping.

Officials and community leaders described the incident as domestic in nature while also expressing shock at how it unfolded.

AP quoted Shreveport Police Chief Wayne Smith saying, “I just don’t know what to say, my heart is just taken aback,” and it reported that detectives were confident the shooting was “entirely a domestic incident.”

The BBC similarly quoted Shreveport Police Department spokesperson Chris Bordelon saying, “We do believe him to be the only individual that fired gunshots at these locations,” and it said Bordelon told reporters that officers determined the call had been “domestic in nature.”

CNN quoted Mayor Tom Arceneaux saying, “This is a tragic situation, maybe the worst tragic situation we’ve ever had in Shreveport,” and it also quoted Bordelon describing the rampage as “domestic in nature.”

Family members and neighbors offered additional context about the relationship between Elkins and his wife.

AP reported that Crystal Brown, a cousin of one of the wounded women, said, “He murdered his children,” and “He shot his wife,” and it said Brown described the couple as separating and due in court Monday.

The BBC reported that Elkins’s brother-in-law Troy Brown told the Washington Post that Elkins had been upset after his wife requested a divorce, saying, “After the first argument about the divorce, he acted like he was losing his mind.”

Even as outlets agreed on the core outline—Elkins killing eight children and shooting two women before being killed by police—coverage diverged in emphasis, detail, and the way it described the suspect’s background.

AP foregrounded the police characterization of the case as domestic, quoting Bordelon that detectives were confident the shooting was “entirely a domestic incident,” and it also highlighted that police were familiar with Elkins from a 2019 firearms case while saying officials were not aware of any other domestic violence issues.

ABC News

The BBC led with the timing and the chase, saying officers said the shooting began about 05:00 (10:00 GMT) and that the suspect drove away in a stolen car, before officers chased and killed him, and it also included a detailed list of victims’ names and ages from the coroner’s office.

CNN, by contrast, emphasized the call sequence and the minute-by-minute timeline, including the roof call and the carjacking, and it quoted Wayne Smith describing the caller’s statement that “the suspect, identified as Shamar Elkins, had shot everyone inside the home at 6 a.m.”

NBC News focused on the investigative framing and the physical description of the scene, saying investigators were still investigating why Elkins would have carried out the shootings and quoting Bordelon calling it “a disgusting and evil scene.”

Forbes added a different set of context by referencing a police department statement on Facebook describing the incident as a “violent domestic incident,” and it also introduced a “Big Number” of “114” mass shootings recorded across the U.S. so far in 2026, while describing the Gun Violence Archive definition of mass shooting.

Across outlets, even the description of the suspect’s motive remained unsettled, with AP saying authorities did not say what may have set off the violence and the BBC saying officials had not yet suggested a motive.

After the killings, outlets reported ongoing investigations, community responses, and steps aimed at supporting those affected.

AP said officials sorted through multiple crime scenes and quoted Mayor Tom Arceneaux saying, “This is a tragic situation — maybe the worst tragic situation we’ve ever had,” while requesting patience and prayers from the community.

ABC News

AP also reported that mourners gathered outside the single-story house on 79th Street and laid flowers, and later that evening at a prayer vigil, Kimberlin Jackson said, “It just makes you take your children and hug them and hold them and tell them how much you love them.”

NBC News said Louisiana State Police are investigating the shooting of the suspect and that Shreveport police said nothing suggests any wrongdoing by officers, while it also described that investigators were still investigating why Elkins would have carried out the shootings.

KSLA reported that Louisiana State Police is investigating the incident and that “SPD says counseling/mental health services will be available for officers who responded to the scene.”

Several political leaders issued statements of condolence, with the BBC reporting Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry said he and his wife were “heartbroken over this horrific situation, and we’re praying for everyone affected.”

CNN reported that police were still working to determine “a complete motive and understanding as to why this happened, but it is domestic in nature,” and it said Elkins’s wife and another woman were in critical condition or had “life-threatening injuries.”