Shreveport Father Kills Eight Children in Pre-Dawn Rampage
Before dawn on April 19, 31-year-old Shamar Elkins fatally shot eight children, then died after a police pursuit and exchange of gunfire, officials said.
PBS NewsHourKilling of 8 children in Louisiana renews focus on domestic violence involving guns
Associated PressWhat to know about a Louisiana father fatally shooting 8 children, including his own
USA TODAYHow the Shreveport mass shooting that left 8 children dead unfolded
BBC NewsWoman and child jumped off roof to escape deadly Louisiana shooting
Overview
Before dawn on April 19, 31-year-old Shamar Elkins fatally shot eight children, seven of them his own, and was pronounced dead after a police pursuit and an exchange of gunfire, authorities said.
The attack unfolded across two nearby homes in a Shreveport neighborhood, beginning with a 5:55 a.m. 911 call reporting a shooter on a roof and including a reported carjacking and pursuit, police said.
Louisiana State Police and the ATF are investigating, and Shreveport Police Chief Wayne Smith called the incident a domestic dispute while local leaders urged action to prevent domestic violence.
The eight children, three boys and five girls, were ages 3 to 11, two women were wounded, and court records show Elkins was placed on probation in 2019 after pleading guilty to illegal use of weapons.
Investigators, including the ATF and Louisiana State Police, are probing how Elkins obtained an assault-style weapon and whether he died by suicide or was shot by officers, and the investigation remains ongoing, officials said.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources present this report neutrally, sticking to attributed facts and multiple perspectives. They use straightforward chronology, police statements, court records (weapon conviction), and family recollections as source content without evaluative language. Editorial choices favor factual context — e.g., noting the VA hospitalization and lack of an announced motive rather than advocacy or speculation.