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.
In the wake of a mass shooting in Louisiana that left eight children dead and two women fighting for their lives, their loved ones are coming forward to tell more about the events that led to the tragedy that tore apart families and communities.
“It’s just unbelievable,” relative Francine Monro Brown told USA TODAY. “The Pugh family is a gospel-believing, church-going family. They’re a singing family.”
Interviews by USA TODAY and other news outlets with family members and some of the victims of suspected shooter Shamar Elkins revealed that while the children appeared to be doing well and excelling in school, their father may have been plagued by “dark thoughts.”
Brown, a cousin of Elkins’ wife, recalled how Elkins recently took his children to church.
“And they were wearing really cute clothes. They were all wearing similar clothes,” Brown said. “The Pugh family is a happy family. They’re a happy family. We don’t know what happened…I’m asking the public for prayers. For the children and the Elkins family.”
Here’s what you need to know about the assault that left eight children dead.
What do we know about Elkins?
Shreveport authorities described the April 19 shooting as a domestic violence incident, saying Elkins shot and killed seven children and their cousin, as well as the children’s mother and another woman. Elkins married Shanequa Pugh in April 2024, according to court records. Another woman, Christina Snow, sued Elkins for child support and was awarded joint custody of their child, Sariah, in 2017, court records show. Among those killed in the shooting was 11-year-old Thalia.
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. He was never deployed. He was working for United Parcel Service at the time of the shooting, the company confirmed.
He had previously pleaded guilty to unlawful use of a weapon and received a suspended sentence, according to court records.
Family members spoke to news outlets to provide further details about Elkins’ mental state.
Crystal Brown, a cousin of one of the women injured in the shooting, told The Associated Press that Elkins and his wife are estranged and were scheduled to appear in court on April 20, the day after the shooting.
Elkins’ stepfather, Marcus Jackson, told the New York Times that in a phone call on Easter Sunday, Elkins’ stepson told him his wife wanted a divorce. Elkins wanted to take his own life and was plagued by “dark thoughts,” Jackson told the paper.
“I told him, ‘You can win anything, I don’t care what you’re going through, you can win,'” Jackson told the magazine. “I remember then he said, “Some people never come back from demons.”
Who are the eight children who were killed?
The Caddo Parish Coroner’s Office has identified the eight children killed in the April 19 shooting. Seven of the children were Elkin’s children and one was a cousin, officials said. The children were:
- 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
- Thalia Snow, 11 years old
- Kedarion Snow, 6
- Braylon Snow, 5
Local residents mourn slain children at candlelight vigil
“A tragedy happened just 30 feet away yesterday, and so many people are coming today to pray and share their feelings with the family,” Shreveport Police Chief Wayne Smith said, as reported by the Shreveport Times, part of the USA TODAY Network.
On the night of April 20, local residents gathered for a vigil to remember the victims near the crime scene, where tape was still hanging.
Brown, a cousin of the suspect’s wife, said so many people came out to support her family, including some she wasn’t expecting.
“I really want things to get better. I know great people make great communities, and I think we can be great too,” Brown said, recalling the time when her cousins were playing in the garden.
How did the Louisiana shooting happen?
The shootings occurred at two homes in Shreveport, authorities said. At the first home, a woman and her child fled to the roof, where the mother called 911, Shreveport Police Chief Wayne Smith said. The two escaped by jumping from the roof, but the child was injured.
The caller told police around 5:58 a.m. that Elkins “shot everyone in the house,” adding that nine people lived there.
A few minutes later, another woman called and said her boyfriend had shot her and taken her three children.
After the shooting, Elkins stole a car at gunpoint and officers chased him to Bossier City, where they engaged in a shootout. Elkins was pronounced dead, but it is still under investigation to determine whether he was shot by police or himself. The injured people at the vacation home and the child were not found in Elkins’ car.
A total of eight children were killed in the shooting. Two women, including Elkins’ wife, were seriously injured in the shooting. One child who escaped through the roof was injured.
