A gunman shot and killed eight children – including seven of his own – in what police described as a "violent domestic incident" in a quiet suburban neighborhood, shocking residents and officials who called the attack an "unimaginable tragedy."
Officers responded to shootings at two homes in a south Shreveport neighborhood before dawn on April 19, according to the Shreveport Police Department. The children ranged from ages 3 to 11, according to the Caddo Parish Coroner's Office. Authorities earlier released a different age range for the victims.
Police said the suspect, identified as Shamar Elkins, also shot the mother of his children and another woman, both of whom survived with serious injuries. Elkins then fled the scene on foot and stole a car at gunpoint, leading to a police chase that ended with officers shooting him dead, according to police officials.
The attack, which is among the deadliest mass shootings since January 2024, rocked the historic riverfront city.
"I just don’t know what to say, my heart is just taken aback," Shreveport Police Chief Wayne Smith said at a news conference, adding that the attack is unlike anything he's ever seen in his more than four decades in law enforcement.