https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/19/us/shreveport-louisiana-shooting .....
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 who died ranged in age from 1 to 12, Shreveport Police Cpl. Chris Bordelon told CNN. Police said earlier the ages ranged from 1 to 14.
Bordelon identified the gunman as Shamar Elkins, and told CNN affiliate KSLA the shootings were “domestic in nature.”
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.
Bordelon said Elkins was arrested in 2019 on a firearms case. Elkins served in the Louisiana Army National Guard for seven years until August 2020, according to the US Army. He was not deployed.
The gunman was fatally shot by officers after carjacking a vehicle and leading police on a chase into the next parish, Bordelon said. The Louisiana State Police are investigating the officer-involved shooting. ........
