First picture of Louisiana shooting suspect after ‘killing eight children’ | World | News
Shamar Elkins has been identified as a Shreveport shooting suspect after eight children ages 1 to 14 were shot and killed in a ‘domestic’ attack. (Image: Facebook)
The suspect of the armed attack that killed eight children was identified in the region.
Shamar Elkins, 31, is accused of killing eight children ages 1 to 14 in the deadliest mass shooting in the United States in more than two years.
Police tell KSLA that Elkins is believed to be the father of some of the victims. While 10 people in total were shot, two women survived the horrific incident. It was stated that one of the female victims, who was injured by a bullet hitting her head, was fighting for her life.
The tragedy unfolded Sunday morning when the gunman approached a property in Shreveport where the devastating massacre is said to have taken place.
Officers say after a carjacking, Elkins drove to Harrison Street, about a quarter-mile away, leading police to engage him on a high-speed chase. He then went to a third location, where he was shot and killed by officers.
City Councilwoman Tabatha Taylor (R) hugs an unidentified person outside the scene of a mass shooting in Shreveport, La., Sunday, April 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) (Image: AP)
Liza Demming, who lives in two houses in one of the attack scenes, stated that the security camera recorded images of the suspect running away with the sound of two gunshots.
“That’s pretty much all I saw; him running out of the house and cars coming out,” he said.
When Ms Demming later went outside she found a child’s body covered in the roof of the property. He stated that he did not know the name of the attacker.
The scene in the 300 block of West 79th Street in Shreveport, La., on Sunday, April 19, 2026, where eight children died in what police believe was a domestic shooting. (Image: Henrietta Wildsmith / USA TODAY NETWORK, via Imagn Images)
“He looks like the father who came here,” the woman said, adding that he was with the children a few days ago. Officers and residents alike are struggling to come to terms with the deadliest shooting in the United States since eight people were killed in a Chicago suburb in January 2024, according to a database compiled by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University.
Shreveport Police Department spokesman Chris Bordelon said the suspect died after a chase with officers who opened fire. Mr. Bordelon spoke of the harrowing scenes the police officers encountered upon their arrival.
“This is a sweeping scene unlike anything most of us have ever seen,” he said.
Authorities appeared visibly shaken after the shooting. At a press conference held outside the property where one of the shootings took place, they appealed for patience and prayers from local residents as they worked on multiple crime scenes.
“I don’t know what to say, my heart is stunned,” Shreveport Police Chief Wayne Smith said. “I can’t even imagine how something like this could happen.
Police work outside a home in Shreveport, La., one of the sites of a mass shooting on Sunday, April 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) (Image: AP)
“This is a tragic situation; maybe the worst tragic situation we’ve ever had,” said Tom Arceneaux, mayor of the city of about 180,000 in northwestern Louisiana. “It’s a terrible morning.”
Louisiana State Police confirmed their detectives were called by Shreveport police to lead the investigation. In an official statement, state police confirmed that no officers were injured during the shooting following a police pursuit in Bossier City Sunday morning. State police are urging anyone with photos, footage or relevant information to come forward and share them with detectives.
People are consoled outside the scene of a mass shooting in Shreveport, La., on Sunday, April 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) (Image: AP)
Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry and U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, visiting from Shreveport, issued separate statements expressing their devastation and praising the swift response of law enforcement.
“We are keeping the victims, their families, their loved ones, and our Shreveport community close in our thoughts and prayers during this incredibly difficult time,” Mr. Johnson said in a statement.
