Shamar Elkins, a 31-year-old Army veteran, shot and killed eight children, seven of them his own, at multiple addresses in Shreveport, Louisiana, on April 19, before carjacking a vehicle and being fatally shot by officers in neighboring Bossier Parish.
UPDATE: Police identify the man who murdered eight children Sunday morning as Shamar Elkins.
He was a 31-year-old Army vet who posted a photo of himself with one of his daughters hours before he committed the massacre on Sunday.
He targeted three addresses in Shreveport… https://t.co/ymoQPD8usU pic.twitter.com/3IMTqddWW9
— Paul A. Szypula 🇺🇸 (@Bubblebathgirl) April 20, 2026
Shreveport Police Cpl. Chris Bordelon identified Elkins as the sole suspect and said investigators are still working to establish a full motive
Officers responded just after 6 a.m. to the Cedar Grove neighborhood following reports of a domestic disturbance. “We know it’s domestic in nature,” Bordelon said. “We know his wife is involved, and she is the mother of at least seven of the children, with the eighth being a family friend.”
The children ranged in age from 18 months to 14 years. Bordelon said most were shot in the head and many appeared to have been killed in their sleep. Seven were found inside the home on West 79th Street and an eighth child was found dead on a back roof.
Elkins’ wife was shot in the face and survived. A second woman, believed to be his girlfriend, remained in life-threatening condition Sunday.
Elkins first shot a woman on nearby Harrison Street before moving to the West 79th Street home, where all eight children were killed, Bordelon said. He then carjacked a vehicle at gunpoint and fled.
Officers shot and killed Elkins in neighboring Bossier Parish following a pursuit.
A small-caliber handgun was recovered from the scene, and Elkins carried a rifle-style pistol when killed, Bordelon confirmed. Louisiana State Police are investigating the officer-involved shooting.
In March 2019, Elkins was arrested after firing five rounds at a vehicle approximately 300 feet from a Shreveport high school, according to a police report obtained by KTBS.
He pleaded guilty to illegal use of weapons in October 2019 and received 18 months’ probation. The accompanying firearm charge was dismissed.
Neither police nor prosecutors have publicly addressed how Elkins legally possessed two firearms on Sunday.
Heartbreaking tragedy in Shreveport this morning — 8 children were senselessly killed and multiple others were injured. My team is in touch with local law enforcement as more details emerge.
We’re holding the victims, their families and loved ones, and our Shreveport community…
— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) April 19, 2026
Shreveport Mayor Tom Arceneaux called it “maybe the worst tragic situation we’ve ever had in Shreveport.” The attack more than doubled the city’s homicide count for 2026, Councilman Grayson Boucher said.
The Gun Violence Archive counted at least 114 mass shootings in the United States so far in 2026.
