Authorities in Louisiana are investigating the tragic shooting incident where a man killed seven of his children along with another child. Police indicate that the violence stemmed from a domestic conflict.
It remains uncertain if the shooter, identified as Shamar Elkins, was fatally shot by police during a gunfire exchange while attempting to flee in a car on Sunday or if he took his own life.
At a Monday press conference, Shreveport police chief Wayne Smith stated, “All evidence and indications are that this erupted as a domestic dispute. The chances are good that this was not the first time.”
Elkins also shot two women, identified by police as his wife and a woman who called 911 claiming to be his girlfriend, according to Smith.
The girlfriend reported that Elkins fired shots at her residence, located a few blocks from where the children were killed, and that he took her three children, whom police later located. The shooting at her house occurred prior to the killing of the eight children at another location, police added.
Both women are currently hospitalized, according to Smith.
Police shared that Elkins had a previous conviction in 2019 for illegal firearm use, which should have barred him from possessing a gun. The New York Times mentioned an incident where a driver brandished a gun at Elkins, prompting him to fire five shots, striking the car. Reuters could not verify this account immediately.
Investigators are trying to determine how Elkins acquired the weapon used in the shootings, described as an “assault-style” pistol by Smith.
The violent events began early on Sunday, with police receiving their first call just before 6 a.m. from a woman on the roof of the home where the children, aged 3 to 11, were killed.
Police arrived at the scene quickly, but Elkins had already stolen a vehicle and fled. Within minutes, traffic patrol officers spotted the stolen car, and within 15 minutes, a gunfire exchange occurred with Elkins in Bossier City, about 10 kilometers northeast of the initial crime scene, as reported by the police chief.
The Caddo Parish Coroner’s Office identified the children as: 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.
Excluding Sunday’s incident in Shreveport, the Gun Violence Archive reports at least 119 mass shootings in the US this year, with 117 deaths, including 79 children, and 458 injuries.
The Gun Violence Archive defines a mass shooting as an event where at least four people, not including the shooter, are injured or killed by gunfire. Last year, the United States recorded 407 mass shootings, according to their data.
