Louisiana gunman was father of 7 of the 8 children he killed, police say
Originally Published: 19 APR 26 13:18 ET
Updated: 19 APR 26 19:07 ET
By Chris Boyette, Leah Asmelash, Zoe Sottile, Sneha Dhandapani, CNN
(CNN) — A man killed eight children, seven of them his own, across three Shreveport, Louisiana, homes early Sunday, according to police. It marks the nation’s deadliest mass shooting since January 2024.
The children who died ranged in age from 1 to 12, Shreveport Police Cpl. Chris Bordelon told the Associated Press. Police said earlier the ages ranged from 1 to 14.
“We are still working to determine a complete motive and understanding as to why this happened, but it is domestic in nature,” Bordelon told CNN affiliate KSLA.
Bordelon identified the gunman as Shamar Elkins.
The gunman was fatally shot by officers after carjacking a vehicle and leading police on a chase into the next parish, Bordelon said. The Louisiana State Police are investigating the officer-involved shooting.
Two adult women, including the mother of the children, were also shot in Sunday’s attack, Bordelon told KSLA. The mother of the children had ” very serious injuries” and the other woman has “life threatening injuries,” he added.
“It rattles the entire city,” Shreveport Mayor Tom Arceneaux said. “It affects us all.”
Arceneaux said in an earlier news conference a teenager who survived Sunday’s attack had “non-life threatening injuries.”
There have been at least 114 mass shootings in the United States so far this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive, which like CNN defines a mass shooting as one in which four or more people are shot, not including the shooter.
Shreveport, which is about 250 miles northwest of Baton Rouge, has about 180,000 residents. More than 30% of the murders in the city are domestic in relation, said city councilman Grayson Boucher.
The mayor said earlier it’s believed the gunman had a relationship with one or both of the women, but it’s not clear.
A ‘horrific scene’
Police responded to reports of shots fired in the Cedar Grove community of Shreveport just after 6 a.m. CT and found victims in two homes along West 79th Street and a third home on Harrison Street, Bordelon said.
“This is a very large scene with multiple deceased children present,” Bordelon said.
Arceneaux said the scene was “horrific.”
Children tried to escape out the back door during the shooting, said state Rep. Tammy Phelps during a news conference Sunday afternoon with other city officials.
“Investigators are working to process the scene and gather further information,” state police said in a statement. No officers were injured after the car chase, state police said.
Police have not released the names of the victims.
Tragedy reaches ‘far beyond’
City councilwoman Tabatha H. Taylor broke down in tears when speaking of the events late Sunday.
“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?”
Arceneaux called it a “tragic situation” and said it was maybe the “worst” in Shreveport history.
“My heart is just taken aback. I just cannot begin to imagine how such an event can occur,” Shreveport Police Chief Wayne Smith said.
“I just don’t know what to say.”
US House Speaker Mike Johnson, who represents the Shreveport area in Congress, called the killings “heartbreaking.”
“We’re holding the victims, their families and loved ones, and our Shreveport community close in our thoughts and prayers during this incredibly difficult time,” Johnson said.
Superintendent Keith Burton of Shreveport’s Caddo Parish Public Schools said the community “must take care of our children, support our families, and stand beside our educators and first responders who are carrying the weight of this moment.”
Arceneaux said the tragedy reaches “far beyond the scene itself.”
“These are the kinds of moments that leave a lasting imprint — on our hearts, on our minds, and on our sense of safety,” the mayor said.
This story has been updated with additional information.
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