GoFundMe launched for Shamar Elkins’ wife after he killed 8 children in mass shooting

SHREVEPORT, LOUISIANA: A GoFundMe campaign was launched to aid the family of Shaneiqua Elkins, who remains in critical condition after her husband, Shamar Elkins, carried out a mass shooting that killed eight children (seven of them his own) before he was fatally shot by police.

The April 19 attack, which police described as stemming from a domestic disturbance, unfolded across at least two homes in the Cedar Grove neighborhood shortly after 6 a.m. and ranks as the deadliest mass shooting in the United States in more than two years.

Deadly rampage spans multiple homes

Shamar Elkins, 31, a former U.S. Army National Guard member and UPS worker, first shot his wife, Shaneiqua Elkins, at one residence on Harrison Street, authorities said. He then proceeded to a second home on West 79th Street near Linwood, where he killed the children and wounded another woman.

The victims ranged in age from 1 to about 14 years old, according to the Shreveport Police Department. Seven of the eight children who died were Elkins’ own. A ninth child escaped injury by jumping from a rooftop. One of the two injured women was Shaneiqua Elkins, who was shot in the face and underwent surgery but remains in critical condition.

The second woman was identified in community appeals as Keoshia and was also hospitalized with serious injuries.

Elkins fled the scene after carjacking a vehicle. Police pursued him into the Tiburon neighborhood off Swan Lake Road in neighboring Bossier Parish. He was killed during a confrontation with officers. It remained unclear at the time of writing whether Elkins died from police gunfire or a self-inflicted wound.

Shreveport police spokesman Chris Bordelon described the crime scene as “extensive,” spanning multiple locations. Family members told reporters that Elkins had been struggling with mental health issues and had recently expressed “dark thoughts."

Community rallies with prayers and launches GoFundMe

Local residents and organizers quickly mobilized to assist the surviving family members. A Facebook post by Eric Stanley of the Stay Inspired page detailed the outpouring of support.

“The community in Shreveport, Louisiana, is coming together in prayer and support after a shooting on April 19, 2026, inside two homes took the lives of 8 children,” the post read. "People have come together to support Shaneiqua and her family during this difficult time.”

The GoFundMe campaign was titled “Support for Elkins Family: Community Unity" and organized by Carla Collins, founder of the local outreach group Be The Village. As of Monday afternoon, it had raised $4,231 of its $7,500 goal from 85 donors.

The campaign description read, “Our community is grieving an unimaginable tragedy...Shaneiqua Elkins and Keoshia are mothers that have suffered the heartbreaking loss of innocent lives due to an act of domestic violence."

It continued, "No family should ever have to endure this level of pain, especially not while worrying about financial burdens," adding that the mothers are "currently fighting" for their lives and that "the road ahead will be long and difficult.”

“We are coming together as a community to ensure that this family does not have to pay for any funeral expenses, memorial services, or immediate needs. Funds raised will go directly toward funeral and burial expenses, memorial arrangements, immediate family support, and ongoing care and recovery needs for BOTH mothers," it stated.

Shreveport City Council members addressed the shooting during a public session, expressing condolences to the victims’ families and praising first responders. Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry issued a statement saying he and his wife were “heartbroken."

Elkins had a limited criminal history that included a prior weapons charge to which he pleaded guilty in 2019 and received probation, court records show. Authorities have not released a motive beyond classifying the incident as domestic violence.