In a Shreveport mass shooting that unfolded early Sunday morning, police say Shamar Elkins fatally shot eight children, seven of them his own, and wounded two women. The deaths, confirmed by the Caddo Parish Coroner’s Office and Shreveport police, have shaken a city of just over 180, 000 people and left investigators tracing the sequence of events across multiple locations. As of Monday, police were still assembling the full picture of the case and had not publicly identified a motive.
What police say happened before dawn
Shreveport Police Chief Wayne Smith said the first emergency call came in just before 6 a. m. on West 79th Street, where a person on the roof told police that someone inside had just shot another person. Minutes later, police received a second call saying the suspect was a family member and that nine people lived at the home. In the hours that followed, officers found a scene that stretched far beyond one address.
The fatal shootings were part of a larger chain of violence tied to the same incident. Police say Elkins shot his wife and another woman, and that a third woman and a 12-year-old girl jumped off the roof while trying to escape. A separate report said a 13-year-old boy escaped after jumping from the roof, leaving police to later clarify that the child who got away was 13. The Caddo Parish Coroner’s Office identified the children as ranging in age from 3 to 11.
Families, victims, and the scale of the loss
The children killed were Jayla Elkins, 3; Shayla Elkins, 5; Kayla Pugh, 6; Khedarrion Snow, 6; Layla Pugh, 7; Markaydon Pugh, 10; Sariahh Snow, 11; and Braylon Snow, 5, the coroner’s office said. Police say Elkins was the father of seven of the eight children killed, while the parentage of the eighth child has not been made clear. The shooting left multiple families directly affected.
Mayor Tom Arceneaux called the incident “a tragic situation” and said it may be the worst the city has ever seen. He described the scene as “horrific, ” adding that a shooting of this scale “rattles the entire city. ” Freddie Montgomery, a neighbor who saw Elkins on Saturday afternoon, said he later watched law enforcement enter the house across the street the next morning as the police presence kept growing. He said an officer confirmed the scene involved fatalities and children.
Where the investigation stands now
Police say the crime scene extends across four locations, including two homes where gunshot victims were found, the scene of a carjacking in which Elkins reportedly stole a car, and the place in Bossier City where Elkins was shot dead after a police chase. Officers said gunfire was exchanged between police and Elkins in the 400 block of Brompton Lane, but it remains unclear whether he died from a police round or his own hand. Louisiana State Police is investigating the shooting of Elkins at the request of Shreveport police.
What happens next
For now, investigators are still working through witness accounts, the sequence of shots, and the movement across locations tied to the Shreveport mass shooting. Police have not released a motive, and officials say the case remains active as state investigators continue examining how the violence escalated and how the scene unfolded. More details are expected as the investigation advances.
