Louisiana mass shooting: What we know about suspect, eight children killed
Al Jazeera • • nation
Key Points:
- A 31-year-old man, Shamar Elkins, opened fire in Shreveport, Louisiana, killing his seven children and a cousin, and critically injuring his wife and another woman during a domestic dispute related to an impending separation.
- The shooting occurred early Sunday morning, with Elkins first shooting his wife at one location before moving to another residence where the children and cousin were killed execution-style; one child escaped and alerted authorities.
- After the attack, Elkins fled, carjacked a vehicle, and led police on a chase before dying from a gunshot wound, with it unclear if it was self-inflicted or caused by police.
- Elkins was reportedly under emotional distress due to the pending divorce, with family members describing his mental struggles and emotional turmoil prior to the shooting.
- Elkins had served in the Louisiana Army National Guard from 2013 to 2020 and worked at UPS; the shooting is the deadliest mass shooting in the US in over two years.
