Louisiana Father Kills Seven of His Children and One Relative in Shreveport Shooting

The suspect, identified as Shamar Elkins, an adult male, died after a police pursuit into Bossier City that morning.

M. when Elkins shot a woman in the face during a domestic dispute, a relative told the Associated Press. He then drove to another location where he carried out the shooting of the children.

A total of 10 people were shot, of which eight children were killed, Shreveport Police Department spokesman Chris Bordelon said. Two women were shot and wounded and are being treated for serious injuries. The two wounded women are the mothers of Elkins's children, and he and his wife had been arguing about their separation ahead of a court appearance on Monday, April 20, 2026, the relative said.

The children killed were Jayla Elkins, age 3; 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. The children were three boys and five girls aged between three and 11.

Police described the shooting as execution-style, with Elkins targeting victims as they tried to escape through a window.

One child escaped by jumping from the roof of the home and was taken to hospital, BBC News reported. State Rep. Tammy Phelps said some children tried to escape out the back door. Officers fired at Elkins during the chase after he carjacked a vehicle at gunpoint, Bordelon said.

M. local time and found the bodies of the children. No officers were harmed in the shooting involving an officer after the police pursuit, Louisiana State Police stated.

Louisiana State Police detectives have been asked by Shreveport police to investigate. Liza Demming, who lives two houses down from where most of the victims were shot, said her security camera captured video of Elkins running away and the sound of two shots. Demming later saw the covered body of a child on the home’s roof.

Shreveport is a city in northwestern Louisiana with about 180,000 residents. S. since eight people were killed in Joliet, Illinois, in January 2024, according to the Gun Violence Archive.

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