Father Kills 8 Children in Shreveport Domestic Attack

Shreveport police officers responded to the 300 block of West 79th Street in the city’s Cedar Grove neighborhood just after 6 a.m. on April 19, 2026, following a 911 call from a woman who reported being on the roof while a suspect remained inside the home. Within minutes, a second call informed dispatch that she and her children had fled to the backyard. Officers arrived at 6:01 a.m., according to Police Chief Wayne Smith, who outlined the sequence during a Monday news briefing. A related shooting was also reported on nearby Harrison Street.

When investigators processed both locations, they found eight children dead across the connected scenes. The Caddo Parish Coroner’s Office said the victims ranged in age from 3 to 11 and included siblings and relatives from the same extended family. Seven of the children were found inside the home and an eighth was located on the roof, according to Police Corporal Christopher Bordelon. Two women were also shot and remain seriously wounded. Authorities identified the suspect as Shamar Elkins, 31, a Shreveport resident and the father of seven of the children. The eighth child was identified as a cousin.

The Suspect and What Followed

Elkins fled the scene after the shootings. He carjacked a vehicle at gunpoint near the intersection of Linwood Avenue and West 79th Street, according to police, and led officers on a pursuit into neighboring Bossier Parish. Shreveport officers discharged their firearms during the chase. Elkins was found dead in Bossier City. Authorities said it remains unclear whether he died from a police gunshot or a self-inflicted wound. Louisiana State Police are investigating the officer-involved shooting, as is standard procedure. No officers were injured.

The attack is the deadliest mass shooting in the United States since January 2024, when a man killed eight people, most of them relatives, in a Chicago suburb, according to NBC News and CBS News reporting. Law enforcement officials at the scene on Sunday described the crime scene as unlike anything they had encountered. “This is an extensive scene unlike anything most of us have ever seen,” Bordelon said. Smith added: “I just cannot begin to imagine how such an event can occur.”

What Investigators Know

Shreveport police confirmed the shooting was domestic in nature. One of the two wounded women is Elkins’ wife and the mother of seven of the killed children. The other is believed to be his girlfriend. A relative told the Associated Press that Elkins and his wife had been arguing about their separation and were due in court Monday - the day after the shooting - for a hearing in their divorce proceedings. Investigators have not announced an official motive. Smith said detectives were continuing to gather evidence and piece together the timeline.

Elkins had a prior criminal history. Court records showed he pleaded guilty to a weapons charge in 2019 following a shooting near a schoolyard. He served in the Louisiana Army National Guard from 2013 to 2020 as a signal support system specialist and fire support specialist, according to U.S. Army records cited by CBS News. Officials said they were not aware of prior domestic violence reports involving the family before Sunday’s events.

Community Response and Official Statements

By Monday morning, a memorial of flowers, balloons, and stuffed animals had formed in front of the family’s home on West 79th Street, according to CBS News. Community members gathered throughout the morning. Shreveport Mayor Tom Arceneaux called the event the worst tragedy in the city’s recent history. “This affects the entire community, so we all mourn with these families,” he said. Governor Jeff Landry expressed condolences and praised law enforcement’s response. House Speaker Mike Johnson, who represents the Shreveport area in Congress, called it a “heartbreaking tragedy” and said his office was in contact with local police.

The city announced that counseling services would be made available for first responders who worked the scene and for classmates of the victims at their schools. Arceneaux said the city was working to identify which schools the children attended so counselors could be positioned in advance.

Investigation Status

The investigation into the shootings remains active. Louisiana State Police continue to investigate the officer-involved shooting that resulted in Elkins’ death. The Shreveport Police Department is conducting its own parallel investigation into the events of April 19. No additional suspects are being sought in connection with the shootings, according to police.

References: 8 children killed in Shreveport, Louisiana mass shooting | 8 children killed in mass shooting in Shreveport, Louisiana | Shreveport, Louisiana shooting: What we know about Shamar Elkins