Authorities release names of 8 children killed in 'horrific' Shreveport shooting

SHREVEPORT, LOUISIANA: A grim roll call is now public after a deadly domestic shooting tore through a Shreveport neighborhood early on Sunday, April 19, leaving eight children dead.

The Caddo Parish Coroner's Office confirmed the victims were three boys and five girls between the ages of three and 11, who were gunned down just before 6 am on April 19 at a home in the 300 block of West 79th Street.

The children were identified as Jayla Elkins, 3, Shayla Elkins, 5, Kayla Pugh, 6, Layla Pugh, 7, Markaydon Pugh, 10, Sariahh Snow, 11, Khedarrion Snow, 6, and Braylon Snow, 5.

Police say the violence unfolded across multiple homes. Officers responding to reports of gunfire in the Cedar Grove area shortly after 6 am found victims in two residences on West 79th Street and a third on Harrison Street, according to Shreveport Police Department spokesperson Chris Bordelon.

“This is a very large scene with multiple deceased children present,” Bordelon said.

Shamar Elkins identified as shooter, victims include family members

Authorities identified the gunman as Shamar Elkins, 31, describing the killings as “domestic in nature.” According to police, the rampage began when Elkins shot his wife, the mother of his children, leaving her with “very serious injuries.”

He then went to another residence, where he opened fire on the eight children and another woman. That second woman, identified as the mother of the eighth child killed, suffered “life-threatening injuries,” Bordelon said. 

Some of the children tried to escape the chaos. Tammy Phelps said during a news conference that several attempted to flee out the back door as shots rang out.

A 13-year-old boy managed to escape by jumping from the roof of a home. He suffered a “few broken bones” but is expected to recover, Bordelon told CNN affiliate KSLA.

The suspect’s past included a 2019 firearms arrest, when he fired five rounds at a vehicle in retaliation while near a school, according to police. He also served for seven years in the Louisiana Army National Guard before leaving in August 2020. He was not deployed.

The violence came to an end after Elkins allegedly carjacked a vehicle and led police on a chase into a neighboring parish. Officers fatally shot him, and the Louisiana State Police are now investigating the officer-involved shooting.

Witness accounts and prayers

The aftermath has left local officials searching for words to make sense of what transpired.

“It rattles the entire city,” said Shreveport Mayor Tom Arceneaux. “It affects us all.”

Arceneaux described the scene as “horrific” and called it a “tragic situation,” adding it may be the “worst” in Shreveport history.

Shreveport Police Chief Wayne Smith added, “My heart is just taken aback. I just cannot begin to imagine how such an event can occur. I just don’t know what to say.”

Residents who witnessed the chaos painted a bleak picture. A neighbor’s security camera captured the suspect fleeing toward a nearby tire shop, according to The Associated Press.

“That’s’ pretty much all I saw, was him running out of the house,” said Liza Demming, who lives two doors down. She added that she had seen the man with the children just days earlier.

Demming later stepped outside and saw the covered body of a child on the roof.

City councilwoman Tabatha H Taylor broke down as she addressed the tragedy.

“I’m going to ask the community, along with prayer, with every mental health consultant, counselor, that is out here: This family and this community needs you,” she said. “I need you. Because how do we get through this?”