A man fatally shot eight children — seven of his own and a nephew — and wounded two women in a domestic mass shooting early Sunday morning in Shreveport, Louisiana, in what authorities are calling the deadliest mass shooting in the United States in more than two years.
The attack began around 6 a.m. on April 19 in the Cedar Grove neighborhood, south of downtown Shreveport. Police identified the suspected shooter as Shamar Elkins, 31, a lifelong Shreveport resident and former Louisiana National Guard member.
According to investigators, officers first responded to a domestic disturbance call on West 79th Street, but Elkins had already fled the scene. He then went to a second home a few blocks away and opened fire on the children inside. A third person, an adolescent boy, was injured after jumping from a rooftop to escape.
The victims were identified by their mothers and confirmed by the Caddo Parish Coroner’s Office 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. Three were boys and five were girls, ranging in age from 3 to 11 years old.
Two women — believed to be Elkins’ wife and his girlfriend — were also shot and were hospitalized in serious condition. A cousin of one of the injured women told reporters that Elkins and his wife were in the process of separating and had a court hearing scheduled for Monday, April 20.
After the shooting, Elkins carjacked a vehicle at gunpoint and fled. Shreveport police pursued him in a high-speed chase into neighboring Bossier City, where officers exchanged gunfire with him on Brompton Lane. Elkins was shot and killed by law enforcement. He was armed with a rifle-style pistol.
The attack unfolded across four separate locations and left investigators processing multiple crime scenes simultaneously. Shreveport Police spokesperson Chris Bordelon said details were still being gathered across all sites.
Elkins had a prior criminal record. In 2019, he was arrested on charges of illegal use of weapons and carrying a firearm on school property. He served in the Louisiana National Guard from 2013 to 2020 as a signal system specialist and fire support specialist and was never deployed overseas. He was 31 years old at the time of the shooting.
The eight deaths mark the eighth through fifteenth homicides in Shreveport so far in 2026. According to a database maintained by The Associated Press, USA Today and Northeastern University, this is the deadliest mass shooting in the United States since January 2024, when eight people were killed in a Chicago suburb.
Shreveport Mayor Tom Arceneaux and local clergy gathered with community members at the scene throughout the day Sunday. A candlelight vigil was held Sunday evening. The investigation remains ongoing.