Eight children shot dead in Shreveport, Louisiana, in domestic violence massacre

A man killed eight children and injured two women at two homes in Shreveport, Louisiana, before being shot dead by police after fleeing in a carjacked vehicle.

Eight children killed in Shreveport shooting, suspect shot dead by police

A man shot and killed eight children — aged between 3 and 11 — at a home in Shreveport, Louisiana, early Sunday morning in what authorities described as a domestic violence incident, nbcnews.com reports. The suspect, identified as Shamar Elkins, was later killed by police after he fled in a carjacked vehicle.

The victims, three boys and five girls, were named by the Caddo Parish Coroner's Office as Jayla Elkins, 3; Shayla Elkins, 5; Khedarrion Snow, 6; Kayla Pugh, 6; Layla Pugh, 7; Braylon Snow, 5; Markaydon Pugh, 10; and Sariahh Snow, 11. Seven of the eight were Elkins' own children; the eighth was a cousin, according to the coroner's office.

Shreveport police officers responded to the 300 block of West 79th Street just after 6 a.m. following reports of a domestic disturbance. Police spokesperson Christopher Bordelon described the crime scene as "extensive." It appears many of the children were shot in their sleep, Bordelon said, with most shot in the head.

Before arriving at the West 79th Street home, Elkins first shot a woman on nearby Harrison Street. He then killed all eight children at the house before fleeing and carjacking a person at gunpoint near the intersection of Linwood Avenue and West 79th Street. Officers pursued him into neighbouring Bossier Parish, where they shot and killed him.

"Officers were forced to discharge their department-issued firearms, neutralizing the suspect," Shreveport police said in a statement. Louisiana State Police are investigating the shooting of the suspect. Shreveport police said nothing suggests any wrongdoing by officers.

Elkins shot ten victims in total. His wife, shot in the face, was alive as of Sunday, and a woman believed to be his girlfriend was also seriously injured, Bordelon said. A teenager sustained non-life-threatening injuries after falling from a roof.

Seven of the children were found inside the home; the eighth was found dead on a back roof, Bordelon said. A small-calibre handgun was used in part of the attack. When police confronted and killed Elkins, he was carrying what Bordelon described as a "rifle-style pistol."

"We know it's domestic in nature, 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," Bordelon said. Investigators are still working to establish a motive.

"It is a disgusting and evil scene," Bordelon said.

Shreveport Police Chief Wayne Smith addressed reporters at the scene. "I just don't know what to say. My heart is just taken aback," Smith said. "I just cannot begin to imagine how such an event can occur."

Shreveport Mayor Tom Arceneaux described the killings as potentially the worst tragedy the city has ever faced. "This is a tragic situation, maybe the worst tragic situation we've ever had in Shreveport," he said at a news conference.

Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry said he is "heartbroken over this horrific situation" and expressed gratitude to local law enforcement and first responders. House Speaker Mike Johnson, who has represented Shreveport in Congress for nearly ten years, called the incident a "heartbreaking tragedy" and said his team is in contact with local police.

Elkins had a prior arrest and conviction in 2019 for illegal use of a firearm, which likely prohibited him from legally owning firearms, Bordelon said. He served in the Louisiana Army National Guard from August 2013 to August 2020 as a signal support system specialist and a fire support specialist, never deployed, and left as a private, the Army said.

Mack London, 71, who has lived on the same block since 1991, said he did not hear the gunfire and only learned of the killings from a neighbour around 7 a.m. By then, he said, the street was flooded with police and an ambulance, with the block shut down and onlookers gathering. "Nothing like this has ever happened on this street," London said. "It was bad. ... I hate that it happened to those kids."

Freddie and Marie Montgomery, who live across the street from the home where the children were killed, said the family had moved in about six months ago. On Saturday afternoon, Freddie Montgomery had seen a man in the front yard and the children playing outside. He waved; the man waved back.

"When we found out what had actually happened over there, it was just, just a shock," he said. "There is no sense in this."

Marie Montgomery described the moment police brought the children out of the house. "When they brought all those kids out of that house, that's just the worst thing I ever seen," she said.

Council Chair Tabatha Taylor, speaking through tears at a gathering of City Council members near the scene Sunday afternoon, called on the community to seek mental health support. The slain children "had their whole life ahead of them," Taylor said. "This is the result when someone snaps. So I'm going to ask the community, along with prayer, with every mental health consultant that is out there — this family and this community needs you."

Source: Google News MT — Crime (en)