Louisiana Father Kills Eight Children, Including Seven of His Own

Eight children killed in Shreveport domestic shooting; suspect father dies in police chase after carjacking, two women seriously injured.

Cover Image Attribute: Ten victims in all were shot, police said, not sharing any information on the two who survived. Pictures from the scene showed a large police response. / Source: X

 Eight children ranging in age from 18 months to about 14 years old were fatally shot early Sunday in a domestic disturbance that unfolded across multiple locations in a Shreveport, Louisiana, neighborhood, authorities said. The suspect, identified as 31-year-old Shamar Elkins, who was the father of seven of the victims, was later killed by police following a vehicle pursuit after he carjacked a car and fled the scene. Two women, including Elkins’ wife who was the mother of at least seven of the children, were also shot and seriously injured in the violence, which police described as stemming entirely from a domestic incident.
Shreveport police officers responded to reports of a domestic disturbance in the 300 block of West 79th Street just after 6 a.m. local time. Upon arrival, they discovered an extensive crime scene involving multiple locations, including two homes on the same block on West 79th Street and a third residence nearby on Harrison Street. One victim had fled to an adjacent house after being shot. Seven of the children were found dead inside one of the homes, while an eighth child was discovered deceased on the roof after apparently attempting to escape. Another child sustained non-life-threatening injuries after jumping from the roof. Many of the children appeared to have been shot while sleeping, with most sustaining wounds to the head, according to police spokesperson Chris Bordelon, who described the scene as “disgusting and evil.”
The gunman first shot a woman at a location on Harrison Street before proceeding to the West 79th Street home where the children were killed, authorities said. A total of 10 people were shot in the attack. Elkins then fled the area, carjacking a vehicle at gunpoint near the intersection of Linwood Avenue and West 79th Street. Officers pursued the suspect into neighboring Bossier Parish, where they fired on him, resulting in his death. Louisiana State Police are investigating the officer-involved shooting and have stated that no officers were harmed and there is no indication of wrongdoing by law enforcement. Police believe Elkins acted alone.
Shreveport Police Chief Wayne Smith expressed the shock felt by first responders and the community. “I just don’t know what to say. My heart is just taken aback. I just cannot begin to imagine how such an event can occur.” Bordelon noted that police were familiar with Elkins from a 2019 firearms-related arrest but were not aware of prior domestic violence issues involving him. Investigators continue to piece together the precise sequence of events and any factors that may have precipitated the shootings, though they have emphasized the domestic nature of the incident, involving Elkins’ wife and the mother of the children.
A family member provided additional context on the couple’s circumstances. Crystal Brown, a cousin of one of the wounded women, said Elkins and his wife were in the process of separating and were scheduled to appear in court on Monday regarding the matter. She stated that the couple had been arguing about the separation prior to the shooting. According to Brown, Elkins shared four children with his wife and three with another woman who lived nearby and was also shot. All the children had been together at one of the homes. Brown described the victims as “happy kids, very friendly, very sweet” and said, “He murdered his children. He shot his wife.” 
The children killed consisted of three boys and five girls, the Caddo Parish Coroner’s Office reported, though the victims’ names have not yet been publicly released pending further identification processes. One of the surviving women was shot in the face and remained alive as of Sunday, while the other sustained life-threatening injuries. A small-caliber handgun was used in portions of the attack, and Elkins was armed with a rifle-style pistol when confronted by police.
Shreveport Mayor Tom Arceneaux addressed the community at a news conference, calling the event “a tragic situation — maybe the worst tragic situation we’ve ever had in Shreveport.” He noted that some injured victims had been transported to hospitals and requested prayers for the affected families and the city as a whole. “We have hurting families, we have hurting police officers, coroners’ personnel. This affects the entire community, so we all mourn with these families.” Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry said he and his wife were “heartbroken over this horrific situation” and expressed gratitude to law enforcement and first responders working at the scene. U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, who represents the area, stated that his thoughts and prayers were with the victims, their families, and the Shreveport community, adding that he was grateful for the quick response of local police.
Local leaders highlighted the broader pattern of domestic-related violence in the city. Shreveport councilman Grayson Boucher noted that more than 30 percent of crimes and murders in Shreveport have domestic connections, remarking that the incident had more than doubled the city’s homicide count for the period due to a single act of domestic violence. State Rep. Tammy Phelps observed that some children had attempted to flee through the back door, saying, “I can’t even imagine what the police officers, first responders actually dealt with when they got here today.” Members of the Shreveport City Council gathered near the scene to pray and called for mental health support for the family and community. Council Chair Tabatha Taylor said through tears that the slain children “had their whole life ahead of them” and described the event as “the result when someone snaps,” urging residents to seek mental health resources alongside prayer.
Neighbors expressed disbelief at the violence in what they described as a typically quiet area. Mack London, 71, who has lived on the block since 1991, said he did not hear gunfire and only learned of the incident from a neighbor around 7 a.m., by which time the street was filled with police and emergency vehicles. “Nothing like this has ever happened on this street,” he said. Freddie and Marie Montgomery, who live across the street, recalled seeing the children playing outside and waving to a man they believed to be the father the previous day. Marie Montgomery described the sight of the children being removed from the home as “the worst thing I ever seen.” Another resident, Liza Demming, whose security camera captured video of the suspect running from the house along with the sound of shots, said the man had appeared normal when with the children days earlier.
Elkins’ recent social media activity offered glimpses into his personal life in the days leading up to the shooting. In one post, he shared a photo of himself on what he described as a one-on-one outing with his eldest daughter at a burger restaurant. Another post from the previous week showed him with his seven children following an Easter church visit. A post dated April 9 included a prayer-like message asking for strength against negativity, depression, anger, anxiety, and panic. Other posts hinted at marital strain, including one questioning whether fathers would choose different partners if they could have the same children, and another stating “Understand to be misunderstood.” Authorities have not confirmed any diagnosed mental health conditions or directly linked these posts to the motive.
The incident marks the deadliest mass shooting in the United States since eight people were killed in Joliet, Illinois, in January 2024, according to tracking data from the Gun Violence Archive and databases maintained in partnership with news organizations. Shreveport, a city of approximately 180,000 residents located roughly 200 miles east of Dallas, has seen officials describe the event as unprecedented in its scale for the community. The Caddo Parish district attorney’s office stated, “What began as a domestic dispute has ended in irreversible harm.”
As of Sunday evening, investigators from the Shreveport Police Department, working in coordination with the Louisiana State Police and other agencies, continued to process multiple crime scenes and collect evidence, including video and witness accounts. Officials appealed to the public for any additional information, photographs, or video that could assist in fully understanding the events. The coroner’s office and police have withheld the names of the child victims pending notification and identification procedures.
The community response included gatherings for prayer and expressions of support for the surviving family members and first responders. While the immediate investigation focuses on confirming the full sequence and any contributing factors within the domestic context, local leaders have called for renewed attention to domestic violence prevention and mental health resources in the wake of the tragedy. The full scope of the impact on Shreveport and the affected families is expected to unfold in the coming days as more details emerge from the ongoing inquiry.
With reporting by AP News, BBC, NBC, and NPR

IndraStra Global is now available on
Apple News, Google News, Feedly, Flipboard, and  WhatsApp Channel

Reader Discretion & Support Notice

This article contains disturbing content, including violence involving children, which may be distressing to readers. Discretion is strongly advised. 

If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of self-harm or suicide, help is available in the United States. You can call or text 988, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, or chat via 988lifeline.org to connect with trained counselors 24/7.

If you are in immediate danger, please call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. You don’t have to face this alone.

COPYRIGHT: This article is published under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/

REPUBLISH: Republish our articles online or in print for free if you follow these guidelines. https://www.indrastra.com/p/republish-us.html