Louisiana father kills 7 of his children plus another child in mass shooting at house, police say
ABC7 Chicago • • general
Key Points:
- A Louisiana father, Shamar Elkins, fatally shot eight children aged 3 to 11, including seven of his own, in a domestic attack spanning two houses in Shreveport before dying in a police shootout.
- Two women, including Elkins' wife and mother of some victims, were critically wounded; the couple was reportedly in the process of separating and due in court the day after the shooting.
- The children, described as happy and friendly by family, included siblings and a cousin, with seven killed inside one house and one found dead on the roof after attempting to escape.
- Authorities characterized the incident as a domestic dispute and noted prior familiarity with Elkins, who had a 2019 firearms arrest and served seven years in the Louisiana Army National Guard.
- The shooting is the deadliest mass shooting in the U.S. in over two years, leaving the Shreveport community overwhelmed with grief and mourning.
