SHREVEPORT, La. — A mass shooting in Shreveport, Louisiana, early Sunday morning left eight children dead and two women wounded in what authorities described as a domestic violence incident. The suspect, identified as Shamar Elkins, a U.S. Army veteran, was later killed by police after a chase.
According to police, Elkins fatally shot seven of his own children and one other child—believed to be a relative—across two homes in a neighborhood. The victims were young children, with ages reported between roughly 1 and 14 years old (some accounts specify 3 to 11). Two women, including the children’s mother, were also shot and wounded but survived.
The incident unfolded rapidly. After the shootings, Elkins fled the scene in a carjacked vehicle. Officers pursued him, and he was killed during an exchange of gunfire with police. No officers were injured. Shreveport police spokesperson Christopher Bordelon confirmed that seven of the eight children killed were the suspect’s own.
Louisiana officials called the event a “violent domestic incident” tied to family issues. Elkins had a prior criminal history, according to local reports. The shooting is being investigated as one of the deadliest mass shootings in the United States in more than two years.
Community leaders and state officials expressed shock and grief. As of Monday, April 20, 2026, authorities were still notifying families and releasing further details, including the full names and ages of the victims. Counseling services have been offered to the shaken Shreveport neighborhood.
This heartbreaking event has left a city and nation mourning the loss of eight young lives in a single morning of violence. Investigations continue.
SOURCES:
Father kills 8 children in Louisiana homes, police say | AP News
Suspect dead after 8 children killed, 2 women wounded in Louisiana shooting
Eight children killed in Louisiana shooting, police say
8 children killed in mass shooting in Shreveport, Louisiana, as father targets his family, police say – CBS News
