Man kills 8 children and shoots his wife and another woman in Shreveport, Louisiana

SHREVEPORT, La. (AP) — A Louisiana antheral fatally changeable 8 children, including 7 of his own, successful an onslaught connected his household that stretched crossed 2 houses successful a Shreveport, Louisiana, vicinity near shaken by 1 of the nation’s deadliest wide shootings successful caller years, constabulary said.

The gunman's wife, who was the parent of their children, and different pistillate were besides changeable and critically wounded successful the onslaught Sunday, according to the Shreveport Police Department. The gunman, identified arsenic Shamar Elkins, died aft fleeing the country and a constabulary pursuit that ended with officers firing connected him.

Officials said the children — 3 boys and 5 girls — ranged successful property from 3 to 11 years old. Another kid jumped disconnected the extortion of the location and was expected to survive.

“This is simply a tragic concern — possibly the worst tragic concern we’ve ever had,” Shreveport Mayor Tom Arceneaux said.

Elkins and his woman were successful the process of separating and had been owed successful tribunal Monday, said Crystal Brown, a relative of 1 of the women who were shot. She said the mates had been arguing astir the separation earlier the shooting.

“He murdered his children,” Brown said.

The unit started earlier sunrise Sunday

Authorities said the onslaught began earlier dawn, erstwhile Elkins changeable a pistillate astatine 1 location successful the vicinity southbound of downtown and past fatally changeable the children astatine different location a fewer blocks away. Elkins' nephew was among the slain children, according to the Caddo Parish coroner’s office.

Liza Demming, who lives 2 houses down from wherever astir of the victims were shot, said her information camera captured video of the fishy moving distant on with the dependable of 2 shots.

“That’s beauteous overmuch each I saw, was him moving retired of the location and the cars leaving,” she said.

Demming aboriginal went extracurricular and saw the covered assemblage of a kid connected the home’s roof.

State Rep. Tammy Phelps said immoderate children tried to get distant done the backmost door. “I can’t adjacent ideate what the constabulary officers, archetypal responders really dealt with erstwhile they got present today,” she said.

Mourners laid flowers extracurricular the single-story location connected 79th Street and others lit candles for the victims successful the parking batch of a adjacent buying plaza.

“It conscionable makes you instrumentality your children and hug them and clasp them and archer them however overmuch you emotion them,” said Kimberlin Jackson, who attended the vigil.

Gunman had nary caller past of home violence, constabulary say

Investigators were not alert of different home unit issues involving Elkins, Shreveport constabulary spokesperson Chris Bordelon said.

Elkins did not look to person an extended transgression past successful tribunal records, which showed helium was placed connected probation successful 2019 aft pleading blameworthy to amerciable usage of weapons. In that case, Elkins told constabulary that idiosyncratic driving a conveyance pulled a weapon connected him “and past took off,” according to a constabulary report.

Brown, the relative of 1 of the women who were shot, said she was astatine religion Sunday greeting erstwhile the pastor told congregants astir the shooting astatine the extremity of the service. She described the children arsenic blessed and friendly.

“They worked, came home, they stuck to themselves," she said. “Just an mundane family.”

The shooting successful Shreveport, a metropolis of astir 180,000 residents, was the deadliest successful the U.S. since January 2024, erstwhile 8 radical were killed successful a Chicago suburb, according to a database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today successful concern with Northeastern University.

___

Contributing were Associated Press reporters John Seewer successful Toledo, Ohio, Jake Offenhartz successful New York, Jeff Martin successful Atlanta, Steve Karnowski successful Minneapolis, Terry Tang successful Phoenix and Christopher Weber successful Los Angeles.

Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This worldly whitethorn not beryllium published, broadcast, rewritten oregon redistributed without permission.