New heartbreaking details are emerging in the Louisiana mass shooting that left 8 children dead. ?
The father who killed 7 of his own children had an upcoming court date over his separation from his wife.
It’s the latest tragedy of domestic violence against Black women and children:
A man fatally shot eight children, seven of them his own, across three Shreveport, Louisiana, homes early Sunday, according to police. It marks the nation’s deadliest mass shooting since January 2024.
The children killed were three boys and five girls ranging in age from 3 to 11, the Caddo Parish Coroner’s office told CNN. They included seven siblings and a cousin, the coroner’s office said. Police said earlier the ages ranged from 1 to 14.
The coroner identified the victims 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.Shreveport Police Cpl. Chris Bordelon identified the gunman as Shamar Elkins, and told CNN affiliate KSLA the shootings were “domestic in nature.” Elkins was 31, according to previous police reports.
A 13-year-old boy was injured after fleeing from a home and jumping from the roof, Bordelon told KSLA. He sustained a “few broken bones” but is expected to recover, he said.
Some children tried to escape out the back door during the shooting, said state Rep. Tammy Phelps during a news conference Sunday afternoon with other city officials.
Two adult women were also shot in Sunday’s attack, Bordelon told KSLA. Elkins’ wife, the mother of his children, was shot first and had “very serious injuries.” Then Elkins went to a separate residence where he shot the eight children and another woman. The other woman, who was the mother of the eighth child killed, has “life threatening injuries,” he added.
