The identities of the eight young children tragically killed by their Army veteran father and uncle during a domestic violence incident in Louisiana early on Sunday have been confirmed.
According to a release from the Caddo Parish Coroner’s Office, the children were identified by their mothers. All eight victims, consisting of five girls and three boys, were slain by 31-year-old Shamar Elkins following a dispute with his wife around 6 a.m. in Shreveport.
The deceased children, found inside their Shreveport home, are Jayla Elkins, 3; Shayla Elkins, 5; Kayla Pugh, 6; Layla Pugh, 7; Markaydon Pugh, 10; Sariahh Snow, 11; Khedarrion Snow, 6; and Braylon Snow, 5.
Elkins was the father of seven of the children and the uncle to the eighth, as per local officials. The identity of the child who was a cousin remains unclear.
Most of the victims were shot in the head while they slept, according to Shreveport Police Department spokesman Christopher Bordelon, who spoke to NBC News.
One child was reportedly killed on the roof while attempting to flee, police stated.
Elkins, who was later shot dead by police during an attempted carjacking, also wounded two women—the mothers of his children—during his violent spree.
Elkins’ wife was shot in the face at the residence with the eight children, Bordelon informed the outlet. The other injured woman is believed to be Elkins’ girlfriend, who was shot at a separate nearby location, he added.
According to Crystal Brown, a cousin of one of the surviving women, Elkins shared four of the children with his wife and three with the other injured woman.
Elkins and his wife were undergoing separation proceedings and were scheduled to appear in court on Monday, Brown told the Associated Press. The couple was reportedly arguing about their relationship when Elkins began shooting, she added.
Brown described the children as “happy kids, very friendly, very sweet.”
Hours before the tragic event, Elkins posted a photo of a “1 on 1 date” with his eldest daughter, Sariahh. On Easter, he also shared a picture of all seven of his children outside a church, noting it was his “first time” attending Mass “with all my kids.”
Both surviving mothers are in critical condition.
