Shreveport Mass Shooting: Elkins Kills 8 Children in Nation's Deadliest Attack in Over Two Years

A catastrophic act of domestic violence shattered a quiet Sunday morning in Shreveport, Louisiana, leaving eight children dead and a community in profound grief. The Shreveport mass shooting, carried out by 31-year-old Shamar Elkins, is now the deadliest shooting in the United States since January 2024.

Elkins Shreveport Shooting Unfolds Across Multiple Scenes

Police responded to reports of shots fired in Shreveport's Cedar Grove community just after 6 a.m. ET Sunday. Shamar Elkins first shot his wife at a residence on Harrison Street before traveling to a second home on West 79th Street.

A small-caliber handgun was used in some of the violence, and Elkins had a rifle-style pistol when police confronted and killed him. It appears many of the children were shot in their sleep, and most of them were shot in the head.

A ninth child, a 13-year-old boy, reportedly jumped off the roof of the home and was able to get away. Police say he has some broken bones but should be okay physically.

Children Killed Shreveport: Victims Identified by Coroner

The children were killed in what police described as an execution-style shooting. They included five girls and three boys, ranging in age from 3 to 11.

Their mothers identified the children 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.

Seven of the children who were killed were found inside the home, and the eighth was found dead on a back roof.

Who Was Shamar Elkins?

Shamar Elkins served in the Louisiana Army National Guard from August 2013 to August 2020 as a Signal Support System Specialist and a Fire Support Specialist. He had no deployment and left the Army as a private.

Elkins had a 2019 arrest and conviction for illegal use of a firearm, which likely prohibited him from legally owning firearms.

Elkins and his wife were in the middle of separating and had been arguing prior to the shooting. A neighbor recalled seeing him on the porch just the evening before, waving as the children played in the yard.

Chase, Confrontation, and Suspect Killed

After fleeing, Elkins carjacked a man at gunpoint near Linwood Avenue and West 79th Street before officers located the vehicle and initiated a pursuit. The chase continued into Bossier Parish, where officers confronted the suspect and opened fire, killing him at the scene.

The investigation now spans four separate scenes, with Shreveport police leading the homicide case and Louisiana State Police handling the officer-involved shooting.

Two surviving adult women are expected to play a key role in helping investigators determine whether warning signs existed and if there were opportunities to intervene before the Shreveport mass shooting occurred.

Community and Officials React to Children Killed in Shreveport

Shreveport Mayor Tom Arceneaux called it "maybe the worst tragic situation we've ever had in Shreveport," adding that the shootings have shocked the community roughly 200 miles east of Dallas.

Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry said he and his wife Sharon are heartbroken, while Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy said his heart is with the Bossier-Shreveport community as it mourns the innocent lives lost.

Shreveport City Council Chair Tabatha Taylor broke down in tears, saying the children "had their whole life ahead of them." Community members held a candlelight vigil Sunday evening, laying flowers and stuffed animals as tributes.

Deadliest U.S. Mass Shooting Since 2024

The Elkins Shreveport shooting is the deadliest in the United States since January 2024, when a 23-year-old man shot eight people, most of them relatives, in a Chicago suburb.

Shreveport Councilman Grayson Boucher noted at a news conference that over 30% of the city's murders are domestic in nature, adding that this single act of domestic violence has more than doubled the city's homicide count.

Authorities say the investigation remains active and are urging anyone with information, photos, or video related to the Shreveport mass shooting to come forward immediately.