At least 8 children killed in Louisiana shooting
In Shreveport, Louisiana, at least eight children were killed in what police believe was a domestic disturbance.
At least eight children were killed in an April 19 shooting in Shreveport, Louisiana that police described as a “domestic disturbance.”
The shooting affected three homes, Shreveport Police Department Corporal Christopher Bordelon said at a news conference, calling the crime scene “extensive.”
The children’s ages ranged from 3 to 11 years old. Authorities initially released different age ranges for the victims. Shreveport Mayor Tom Arsenault called the shooting “potentially the worst tragic situation” the city has ever seen and asked for prayers for the victims’ families.
“We have families that have been hurt,” Arsenault said. “We are hurting our police officers, our coroner, our fire department, our sheriff, and this is impacting this entire community, so we all grieve with these families.”
The shooting was the deadliest mass shooting since January 2024, when a gunman killed eight people in a Chicago suburb, according to the Associated Press/USA TODAY/Northeastern University Mass Murder Database. This is the ninth mass murder and seventh mass shooting this year, according to database data.
Satonia Small, founder of the local grassroots group Something Safe to Do, told the Shreveport Times, part of the USA TODAY Network, that “eight infants were dead and two women were fighting for their lives” at the scene of the shooting. “This is a big deal. This is my field, working with people around the country. I know people need counseling, because look at these people, they’re grieving.”
Here’s what we know about the victims of the Shreveport shooting.
The Caddo Parish Coroner’s Office released the names and ages of the children shot Sunday morning.
According to the coroner’s office, the victims 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), Sariah Snow (11 years old), Kedarion Snow (6 years old), and Braylon Snow (5 years old).
Shreveport City Council President Tabitha Taylor said the incident was a domestic disturbance and the city council is working to respond proactively.
“Eight children have died. I can’t be strong. I have no words for what this mother, her family and her community have lost,” she said through tears.
This story has been updated to add new information.
Contributor: Christopher Cann, USA TODAY. Misty Castile, Shreveport Times
