Shamar Elkins identified as Shreveport shooter who killed 8 children, including 7 of his own

SHREVEPORT, LOUISIANA: Shreveport authorities have named Shamar Elkins as the man responsible for the domestic massacre that claimed the lives of eight children, including an infant.

The suspect was later shot and killed by law enforcement in Bossier Parish following a high-speed pursuit.

Details about Shreveport mass shooting

Shreveport Police Department Corporal Christopher Bordelon released the identity while speaking with reporters near the crime scene on Sunday, April 19. 

During the briefing, he confirmed that seven of the eight young victims are believed to be Elkins’ children.

The victims, whose ages ranged from one to 12 years old, were discovered inside a residence located in the 300 block of West 79th Street following what has been characterized as a domestic incident. 

Law enforcement officials spoke plainly about the violence of the scene, calling it a “heinous act.”

The timeline of the tragedy began earlier that morning when investigators say Elkins shot an adult woman on Harrison Street before moving to the West 79th Street home to carry out the mass killing. 

Beyond the eight deceased children, the violence left several others wounded.

Police confirmed that Elkins shot his wife, who survived, while another woman and a teenager remain in critical condition with life-threatening injuries.

He then moved quickly through the neighborhood as the situation escalated into a broad police search for the armed suspect.

Fatal confrontation with law enforcement

After the killings, the suspect allegedly fled the scene and carjacked a man at gunpoint near Linwood Avenue and West 79th Street.

Shreveport officers quickly located the stolen vehicle and initiated a pursuit that ended in Bossier Parish. 

The chase ended in a confrontation where officers opened fire, killing Elkins at the scene.

While no officers were harmed during the exchange, the investigation has now been split between agencies.

Louisiana State Police have taken the lead on the officer-involved shooting inquiry, while local detectives continue to process the primary homicide scenes and are asking anyone with information, photos, or video to come forward.

Suspect’s military background revealed

In the wake of the shooting, military officials confirmed that Elkins was a former member of the Louisiana Army National Guard.

An Army official told Fox News Digital that “Shamar D Elkins served in the Louisiana Army National Guard from August 2013 to August 2020 as a Signal Support System Specialist (25U) and a Fire Support Specialist (13F).”

Records indicate that despite his seven years of service, “He has no deployment,” and “He left the Army as a private.”