Louisiana gunman is unmasked after horrific killing spree which left eight children dead

Dan McDonald
Sun, 19 Apr 2026 22:30:06 +0000

The man who killed eight children in Louisiana before being shot dead by police himself has been named and pictured.

Shamar Elkins, a 31-year-old former US Army soldier, carried out his mass killing across three separate locations in Shreveport shortly after 6am local time on Sunday morning.

Police confirmed the gunman was related to at least some of his victims - aged between one and 14 years old.

Fox News went on to report that seven of the eight killed were his own children.

Audible gasps were heard at a press conference when a police representative read out the victims' ages.

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In total, the bodies of seven children were found inside the house, while the eighth was shot while attempting a rooftop escape, Shreveport Police Department spokesman Christopher Bordelon told local TV station KTBS.

Mr Bordelon added that there was an "incredibly gruesome" crime scene in place.

Two women were also shot in the head during the rampage, with one in a life-threatening condition.

Officers chased Elkins as he fled the scene and killed him when he drove into the neighbouring city of Bossier.

Hours before the massacre, Elkins shared a photograph on Facebook showing him dining with his eldest daughter.

"Lol!!!! Took my oldest on a lil one on one date - had to catch her down bad ugh ugh," he wrote alongside laughing emojis.

Two weeks earlier, he had posted an image of himself surrounded by seven children following an Easter church service.

"Happy Easter had a wonderful time at church for the first time with all my kids what a blessed day," the post read.

Elkins had hinted at mental health difficulties in a Facebook post dated to April 9.

"Dear God, Today I ask You to help me guard my mind and my emotions," he wrote.

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"When negativity arises, remind me to say, 'It does not belong to me, in the name of Jesus,' " he said.

"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."

The gunman had a previous criminal record involving firearms.

In March 2019, he was arrested for illegally using weapons and carrying a firearm on school grounds.

He fired five rounds at a vehicle approximately 300 feet from a Shreveport high school, shooting directly towards the building.

Elkins admitted guilt to the weapons charge in October 2019 and received 18 months' probation.

Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry said he and his wife Sharon were devastated by the tragedy.

"We're praying for everyone affected. We're deeply grateful to the law enforcement officers and first responders working tirelessly on the scene," Mr Landry wrote on Facebook.

US House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Shreveport native, also responded to the killings.

"Heartbreaking tragedy in Shreveport this morning - eight children were senselessly killed and multiple others were injured," he said.

Mr Johnson said his team was liaising with local police as further details emerged.

Louisiana State Police have taken over the investigation, as it spans multiple parish boundaries.

More to follow...