WATCH – 4/19/26 at 7:10 pm ET: Authorities identified the gunman as Shamar Elkinsthe father of seven of the eight children who were shot and killed on Sunday, April 19, in Shreveport, Louisiana.
The two adults who were wounded by the gunshots were women, including the mother of the seven children who were killed. Both women are listed in critical condition.
The police also clarified that the victims are between 1 and 12 years old. Additionally, a ninth child was injured jumping from the roof to escape Elkins. That child is expected to make a full recovery.
First story:
A shooting incident in Shreveport, Louisiana, on Sunday, April 19, left eight children between the ages of 1 and 14 dead, according to officials.
The police said that the suspect died, and said that 10 people were attacked by guns in the incidents that happened in many houses.
Investigators say it appears the shooter is somehow related to some – if not all – of the victims.
A spokesperson for the Shreveport Police Department Chris Bordelon he described Sunday’s incident as “domestic” when he spoke to reporters and said that these criminal incidents will take time to be processed.
Police have not released the names of the victims, although Shreveport’s mayor Tom Arceneaux he said some of the injured were hospitalized for treatment.
Arceneaux did not provide any information on the conditions of the injured victims.
Two of the homes targeted on Sunday are on the same street, and the third is in the same area, police said.
The shooting incidents were first reported by someone who was inside the first house targeted by the gunman.
Police say the suspect fled on foot before hijacking a nearby car. Police officers chased him for a while, but the gunman ended up dead when the police opened fire on the car.
The suspect has not yet been identified, but police said the name will be released soon.
The Louisiana State Police will be investigating the circumstances of the suspect’s death, because it involves a police officer.
Shreveport Police Chief Wayne Smith he said he could not “imagine how such an incident could happen” when discussing the mass shooting incident and said that the investigators will consider all the evidence collected from the different shooting scenes to try to understand what happened.
“My heart is just in awe,” Smith admitted to reporters.
According to Arceneaux, shootings like this “affect the entire community,” not just those involved.
Two boys who were 15 years old were shot and killed in South Carolina late Tuesday, February 17, and now, a 34-year-old man is in jail facing murder and weapons charges. Rock Hill Police allege in a statement that an argument broke out between Cedric Akeen Creighton and a boy named Jamareon Kimble. According to the police, […]
“This is a sad situation, maybe the worst situation we’ve ever had in Shreveport,” he said, adding, “We’re all mourning these families.”
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry issued a statement on Sunday saying that he knows what happened, he and his wife, Sharon LeBlancwere overwhelmed by this news. “We are very grateful to the law enforcement and first responders who worked tirelessly at the scene,” he added.
According to the Associated Press, this shooting is the deadliest in the US since eight people were killed in a Chicago suburb in January 2024.
