Police have identified Shamar Elkins as the Louisiana man who fatally shot eight children on Sunday (April 19). Additional details from the case revealed that seven of the kids were his, and that the attack on his family stretched across two houses in a Shreveport, Louisiana neighborhood.
The shooting was the deadliest in the U.S. since January 2024, when eight people were killed in a Chicago suburb, according to a database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University.
RELATED: Prayers Up! Louisiana Mass Shooting Reportedly Leaves Eight Children Dead & Two Individuals Injured (VIDEO)
Shamar Elkins Reportedly Shot His Wife, Children
Shamar Elkins’ wife was Shaneiqua Pugh, 34. Family members say she is the mother of some of the children. He reportedly shot his wife and another woman, whose relation is unknown. Both were critically wounded in the attack just after 6 a.m. Sunday, according to the Shreveport Police Department. PD said in a statement Monday that it is hopeful both women will recover.
Officials said the children — three boys and five girls — ranged in age from 3 to 11. Some had attempted to escape Per the Caddo Parish Coroner’s Office, as reported by CNN, the children were:
- Jayla Elkins, 3
- Shayla Elkins, 5
- Kayla Pugh, 6
- Layla Pugh, 7
- Markaydon Pugh, 10
- Sariahh Snow, 11
- Khedarrion Snow, 6
- Braylon Snow, 5
Another child, 13 years old, jumped from the house’s roof to escape. He reportedly broke some bones, but was expected to survive. Shamar Elkins fled the scene, reportedly carjacked a vehicle, and later died after officers fired on him during the pursuit. They believe he acted alone.
“This is a tragic situation — maybe the worst tragic situation we’ve ever had,” Shreveport Mayor Tom Arceneaux said.
Witness Shares What She Saw & What Her Camera Recorded
Authorities said the attack began before dawn, when Shamar Elkins shot a woman at one home in the neighborhood south of downtown. Then, he fatally shot the children at another house a few blocks away. Elkins’ nephew was among the slain children, according to the Caddo Parish coroner’s office.
Liza Demming lives two houses down from where Elkins shot most of the victims. She said her security camera captured video of the suspect, Elkins, running away along with the sound of two shots.“That’s pretty much all I saw, was him running out of the house and the cars leaving,” she said. Demming later went outside and saw the covered body of a child on the home’s roof. State Rep. Tammy Phelps said some children tried to get away through the back door.
“I can’t even imagine what the police officers, first responders actually dealt with when they got here today,” Liza Demming said.
Louisiana Shooter & His Wife Were Separating, Cousin Reveals
The investigation is ongoing, and the motive has not been revealed. According to a cousin of one of the women shot, Elkins and his wife were in the process of separating and had been due in court Monday. Crystal Brown, the cousin, said the couple had been arguing about the separation before the shooting. “He murdered his children,” she said.
Investigators were not aware of other domestic violence issues involving Elkins, Shreveport police spokesman Chris Bordelon said. Also, Elkins did not appear to have an extensive criminal history. Court records showed he was placed on probation in 2019 after pleading guilty to illegal use of weapons. In that case, Elkins told police that someone driving a vehicle pulled a gun on him “and then took off,” according to a police report.
Brown, the cousin of one of the women who was shot, said she was at church Sunday morning when the pastor told congregants about the shooting at the end of the service. She described the children as happy and friendly.
“They worked, came home, they stuck to themselves,” she said. “Just an everyday family.”
Mourners laid flowers outside the single-story house on 79th Street and others lit candles for the victims in the parking lot of a nearby shopping plaza.
Associated Press writers Sophie Bates, Lekan Oyekanmi, Gerald Herbert, John Seewer, Jake Offenhartz, Jeff Martin, Steve Karnowski, Terry Tang and Christopher Weber contributed to this report via AP Newsroom.
What Do You Think Roomies?
