A man who police say shot and killed eight children was suffering from mental problems and had told family members that "some people don't come back from their demons."
Police said that Shamar Elkins, 31, shot ten people Sunday morning Shreveport, Louisiana. Authorities described it as an incident of domestic violence. Two adult women were seriously injured, and eight children were killed. Seven of the children were Elkins'.
Shreveport Chief Wayne Smith said the violence played out across multiple locations and began with the shooting of Elkins' wife. Elkins then carjacked a vehicle, was pursued by officers, and killed after officers opened fire.
Although police have not offered a motive, reports have indicated that Elkins' was having marital trouble and had contemplated suicide.
The New York Times reported that on Easter Sunday Elkins called his mother and stepfather, Mahelia Elkins and Marcus Jackson. His mother told the newspaper that Elkins was upset, expressed suicidal ideations, and that his wife wanted a divorce.
"I told him, 'You can beat stuff, man. I don't care what you're going through, you can beat it,'" Jackson told the newspaper. "Then I remember him telling me: 'Some people don't come back from their demons.'"
CNN reported that Elkins was in the Louisiana Army National Guard as a signal support system specialist and a fire support specialist. He left in 2020 and was never deployed.
The network added that the man had two prior criminal convictions in Caddo District Court, including a March 2019 charge of illegal use of weapons and carrying a firearm on school property. In 2016, he was charged with driving while intoxicated.
CBS News reported that the children were shot execution-style. The network said that those killed included five girls and three boys, ranging in age from 3 to 11. Citing the coroner's office, CBS identified the vicims 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.
"Our community is grieving the unimaginable loss of innocent children. There are no words that can make sense of it, and no distance that shields us from it," Mayor Tom Arceneaux said in a statement. "We must not ignore the deeper issues – violence in the home, untreated trauma, and the silence that allows both to grow."
