8 children killed in Shreveport shooting, motive unknown
Police are investigating a shooting that left eight children dead in Shreveport, with investigators investigating the suspect, weapon and motive.
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Eight children were killed in the nation’s worst mass shooting since January 2024 in northwestern Louisiana, leaving their relatives, classmates and local residents reeling.
The victims attended church regularly, were doing well in school and appeared to be doing well before the horrific attack on the morning of April 19 in their Shreveport neighborhood, a city less than 32 miles east of the Texas border, said family members and others who knew the victims.
“It’s just unbelievable. (They’re) a gospel-believing, church-going family. A singing family,” Francine Monro Brown, the victim’s cousin, told USA TODAY on April 20.
Shreveport police said Shamar Elkins opened fire, killing seven of his children and injuring his wife and another woman. The coroner’s office identified the boys who died in the shooting as Jayla Elkins (3 years old), Sheila Elkins (5 years old), Kayla Pugh (6 years old), Layla Pugh (7 years old), Markedon Pugh (10 years old), Sariah Snow (11 years old), Kedarion Snow (6 years old), and Braylon Snow (5 years old).
Brown, a cousin of Elkin’s wife, said the family was still in disbelief after the horrific shooting and the children’s mother remained hospitalized Monday.
“She doesn’t know yet. We’re hiding it from her (for now),” Brown told USA TODAY, adding that her family is worried about broken heart syndrome. According to the Mayo Clinic, this condition can be caused by stressful situations or extreme emotions.
Brown, who lives in the same Eden Gardens neighborhood where the victims lived, said her cousin was still married to Shamar Elkins at the time of the shooting, and they had married several years earlier. According to court records, Shamar Elkins was married in 2024.
Brown said the family continues to wonder what led to the deadly attack, as there has been no apparent familial tension between them in recent days.
“We don’t know what happened. We’re asking the public for prayers,” Brown said. “For the children and the Elkins family.”
Funeral arrangements for the children are pending, Brown said.
The victim, 6 years old, was recently praised by school leaders.
More information about the victims is gradually emerging. Caddo Parish Public Schools Superintendent Keith S. Burton said one school’s principal told him that one of the 6-year-olds killed in the attack was praised for meeting a literacy test goal.
“When he was first tested earlier this year, he was well below basic level,” the principal said, Barton said. “And just last week, I had the opportunity to congratulate him because he achieved a benchmark goal.”
Mr Barton said during a visit to the school where the young victims attended, he witnessed at least one student crying silently.
The Rev. Stephen J. Newton Sr. said the grief has rippled through the community, impacting not only students who have to return to classrooms without their peers, but also neighbors who have to walk the streets near the shooting scene.
Newton said members of his church, Kingdom Center Shreveport/Bossier, sprung into action, collecting food and other items to donate to families gathered at the scene.
The last time he spoke to his family was around midnight. They struggle to process their grief and find a way to move forward. Still, he said, it’s been “amazing” to see them take refuge in their faith.
“Their spirit is very strong,” he said.
Shreveport City Councilman Rev. James Green said at a news conference that a vigil was set for April 20 at 6 p.m. local time near Linwood Avenue and West 79th Street.
Another vigil is scheduled for April 22 at the same location, Green said.
The motive for the attack is still under investigation
Shreveport Police Chief Wayne Smith said at a news conference that several key details of the attack are still under investigation, including how Elkins died.
He said Louisiana State Police are investigating whether Elkins died by suicide or was killed by police in a shootout. Smith said the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is also investigating how Elkins obtained the gun used in the shooting.
Elkins served in the Louisiana Army National Guard from 2013 to 2020 as a signals systems specialist and fire support specialist, Army officials told USA TODAY. Elkins never deployed, left the Army as a private, and was working for United Parcel Service at the time of his death, the company confirmed on April 20.
