Louisiana father kills 7 of his children plus another child in mass shooting at house, police say

SHREVEPORT, La. -- A Louisiana begetter fatally changeable 8 children, including 7 of his own, successful an onslaught connected his household Sunday greeting that stretched crossed 2 houses successful a Shreveport vicinity near shaken by 1 of the nation's deadliest wide shootings successful caller years, constabulary said.

Two women, including the gunman's wife, who was the parent of their children, were besides changeable and critically wounded, according to Shreveport Police Department spokesperson Chris Bordelon. Officials said the children -- who were each killed successful the aforesaid location -- ranged successful property from 3 to 11 years old.

The gunman, identified arsenic 31-year-old Shamar Elkins, died aft a constabulary pursuit that ended with officers firing connected him, according to Bordelon. Authorities did not accidental what whitethorn person acceptable disconnected the violence, but Bordelon said detectives were assured the shooting was "entirely a home incident."

The onslaught was the deadliest wide shooting successful the U.S. successful much than 2 years.

"I conscionable don't cognize what to say, my bosom is conscionable taken aback," Shreveport Police Chief Wayne Smith said. "I cannot statesman to ideate however specified an lawsuit could occur."

Bordelon said constabulary were acquainted with Elkins, who had been arrested successful a 2019 firearms case, but helium said officials were not alert of immoderate different home unit issues.

Elkins antecedently served successful the Louisiana Army National Guard for 7 years, according to an Army official. He ne'er deployed and near the Army arsenic a backstage successful 2020, the authoritative said.

Elkins appeared to station a photograph with his children connected Facebook.

Shamar Elkins appeared to station a photograph with his children connected Facebook. The children person been cropped retired of this image.

Police said the attacks began earlier sunrise successful a vicinity southbound of downtown Shreveport erstwhile the fishy changeable a pistillate astatine 1 location and past drove to the different determination "where this heinous enactment was carried out."

Seven children were killed wrong the 2nd house, and 1 was recovered dormant connected the extortion aft seemingly trying to escape, Bordelon said. Another kid jumped disconnected the extortion and was expected to past aft being taken to a hospital.

State Rep. Tammy Phelps said immoderate children tried to get distant done the backmost door. "I can't adjacent ideate what the constabulary officers, archetypal responders really dealt with erstwhile they got present today," she said astatine a quality conference.

Family subordinate says fishy was separating from his wife

The victims were 3 boys and 5 girls, according to the Caddo Parish Coroner's office.

Shamar Elkins and his woman were successful the mediate of separating and were owed successful tribunal Monday, said Crystal Brown, who is simply a relative of 1 of the wounded women. Brown said the mates had been arguing astir the separation earlier the shooting.

"He murdered his children," Brown said. "He changeable his wife."

Elkins shared 4 children with his woman and 3 children with different pistillate who lived adjacent by and who was besides shot, according to Brown. All the children were unneurotic astatine 1 house, she said.

Brown described each the children arsenic "happy kids, precise friendly, precise sweet."

Police said the children, siblings and 1 cousin, including 3 boys and 5 girls ranging successful property from 3 to 11, were identified by their mothers arsenic 3-year-old Jayla Elkins, 5-year-old Shayla Elkins, 6-year-old Kayla Pugh, 7-year-old Layla Pugh, 10-year-old Markaydon Pugh, 11-year-old Sariahh Snow, 6-year-old Khedarrion Snow and 5-year-old Braylon Snow.

A neighbour wakes up to a wide shooting

Liza Demming, who lives 2 houses down from wherever astir of the victims were shot, said her information camera captured video of the fishy moving away, on with the dependable of 2 shots.

"That's beauteous overmuch each I saw, was him moving retired of the location and the cars leaving," she said.

Demming aboriginal went extracurricular and saw the covered assemblage of a kid connected the home's roof.

Pastor Marty T. Johnson Sr., of adjacent St. Gabriel Community Baptist Church, who owns 1 of the homes wherever the shootings occurred, said a idiosyncratic who works for him had rented it to the family, but helium ne'er had dealings with them.

"What began arsenic a home quality has ended successful irreversible harm," the parish's territory attorney's bureau said successful a statement.

Shreveport is overwhelmed by grief

It was the deadliest wide shooting successful the U.S. since 8 radical were killed successful a Chicago suburb successful January 2024, according to a database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today successful concern with Northeastern University.

At a quality league extracurricular the residence wherever 1 of the shootings occurred, officials appeared stunned, requesting patience and prayers from the assemblage arsenic they sorted done aggregate transgression scenes.

"This is simply a tragic concern - possibly the worst tragic concern we've ever had," said Tom Arceneaux, politician of the metropolis successful northwestern Louisiana with astir 180,000 residents. "It's a unspeakable morning."

Hours aft the shooting, mourners gathered extracurricular the single-story location connected 79th Street and laid flowers. One doorway appeared stained with blood. Later that evening astatine a adjacent supplication vigil, Kimberlin Jackson joined different members of the assemblage who lit candles for the victims successful a parking lot.

"It conscionable makes you instrumentality your children and hug them and clasp them and archer them however overmuch you emotion them," she said.

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This communicative has been corrected to property the statements astir the shooting to constabulary spokesperson Chris Bordelon, not Police Chief Wayne Smith, and corrects the ages of the children killed based connected updates by officials.

ABC News contributed to this report.