Authorities identified Shamar Elkins as the sole suspect in a shooting in Shreveport, Louisiana, that officials described as one of the deadliest mass shooting incidents in the United States in the past two years.
Unlike the shooting that took place at Rihanna’s L.A. house, the Louisiana shooter claimed the lives of eight children and gravely injured two other women. The children killed ranged in age from 14 months to 14 years.
Army Vet ID’d as Gunman That Left 8 Kids Dead.
Authorities have identified 31-year-old Shamar Elkins, an Army veteran, as the man responsible for the murder of 8 children in Shreveport, Louisiana.
Police got calls about shots fired in the Cedar Grove neighborhood shortly after… pic.twitter.com/VB24ZRZvL2
— Robbie Harvey (@therobbieharvey) April 19, 2026
According to local reports, one of the victims was a young boy who was pursued outside before he was fatally shot. According to NBC, the suspect’s wife and ex-girlfriend were also shot but survived with grave injuries.
As of writing, it’s still unclear as to why Shamar Elkins carried out the shooting. One of the spokespersons for the Louisiana police, Christopher Bordelon, spoke on the matter.
“We know it’s domestic in nature, we know his wife is involved, and she is the mother of at least seven of the children, with the eighth being a family friend,” Bordelon revealed. “It is a disgusting and evil scene.” The shooting began with Shamar Elkins shooting a woman near Harrison Street before making his way to his home on West 79th Street. This is where all the children were brutally killed.
After the shooting, authorities said the suspect fled the scene. He stole a car at gunpoint at the intersection of Linwood Avenue and West 79th Street. Authorities said officers shot and killed Elkins after he allegedly stole a vehicle at gunpoint and was found with what police described as a “rifle-style pistol.”
Elkins was previously arrested in 2019 and convicted of illegal use of a firearm. This conviction prohibited him from legally possessing firearms.
Eight children murdered — ages 1 to 14.
This is a moral failure. It’s preventable.
How many more kids have to be killed before the @NRA stops paying off politicians? https://t.co/siDddj8apG
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) April 19, 2026
Several Shreveport city leaders commented on the shooting, calling the incident deeply concerning. “I’ve struggled all morning since I woke up,” Councilman Grayson Boucher said. “Over 30% of our crimes and 30% of our murders in the city of Shreveport are domestic in relation. Now, that number has gone up. We more than doubled our homicides in the city of Shreveport because of one act of domestic violence. We can have 100 new police cars. We can have a brand new, beautiful multimillion-dollar police substation right up the road. But until we stop this violence, the cycle of violence, like I’ve said over and over again, we’re going to still be standing here, and it’s only going to get worse.”
According to the New York Post, Elkins had posted a picture with his eldest daughter eating a burger, just hours before the Shreveport shooting took place. “Lol!!!! Took my oldest on a lil 1 on 1 date had to catch her down bad ugh ugh,” the caption read. Earlier this month, Elkins also posted a picture with his kids on Easter, with the caption: “Happy Easter, had a wonderful time at church for the first time with all my kids what a blessed day.”
Other social media posts included references to emotional struggles and religious messages.
“Dear God, Today I ask You to help me guard my mind and my emotions,” a post dated April 9 read. “When negativity arises, remind me to say, ‘It does not belong to me, in the name of Jesus. When depression tries to settle in, when anger rises, when anxiety or panic comes, give me the awareness to recognize what is not from You and the strength to reject it immediately in the name of JESUS.”
