UPDATE: Gunman Who K*lled 8 Children in Louisiana Identified

On Saturday, a deranged father went on a rampage, shooting and killing eight children in Shreveport, Louisiana.

Seven of those eight kids were his own, and one was a relative.

Two adult women were also shot, but they were the only victims to survive.

We covered that terrible story in more detail here:

TRAGIC: Eight Children K*lled in Horrific Louisiana Mass Sh**ting

At the time our original article was published, the identity of the gunman had not been released.

But now, the evil monster has been named as 31-year-old Shamar Elkins.

A spokesman for the Shreveport Police Department confirmed his identity here:

NEW: Shreveport, Louisiana police have identified Shamar Elkins as the suspect in a domestic shooting that left eight children dead, including a 1-year-old, with seven believed to be his own.

Two adults and a teen were also shot, and Elkins was later killed by law enforcement… pic.twitter.com/9GaUtyf7aZ

— Fox News (@FoxNews) April 20, 2026

Here are a few photos of Elkins with those same children he later murdered:

🚨 UPDATE: The gunman who killed 8 children aged 1-14 in Shreveport, Louisiana has been identified as Shamar Elkins — neutralized by police

Absolutely heartbreaking.

Good riddance to that monster. pic.twitter.com/5knCzQnzcz

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) April 19, 2026

🚨UPDATE — Mass Shooting in Shreveport, Louisiana.

Authorities say 30-year-old Shamar Elkins got into a domestic dispute with his ex-girlfriend Saturday evening. The argument escalated, and he opened fire on her and her sister. Both women were shot in the head. They survived and… https://t.co/JGBeSg8fHm pic.twitter.com/Eb89ZQLyLT

— Quickie (@Quickie_001) April 19, 2026

UPDATE — Mass Shooting in Shreveport, Louisiana.

Authorities say 30-year-old Shamar Elkins got into a domestic dispute with his ex-girlfriend Saturday evening. The argument escalated, and he opened fire on her and her sister. Both women were shot in the head. They survived and are the only shooting victims still alive.

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Then, Elkins went on a rampage, killing eight children between 18 months and 14 years old. The victims included his own children, as well as the children of his ex-girlfriend and her sister.

Police say at one point, Elkins placed a baby on the roof of a house before shooting the child's mother. He also chased a 9-year-old boy down the street and shot him in the head. The killings happened at multiple homes.

Afterward, Elkins carjacked a vehicle and led police on a high-speed chase into Bossier City, where he died by suicide.

The names of the children have not yet been released. Our hearts go out to the families tonight.

Those photos are just haunting.

It's absolutely heartbreaking that those poor children lost their lives at the hands of someone who was supposed to protect and raise them.

We know little about his background, but it's being reported that Shamar Elkins was an Army veteran.

According to the New York Times, he had a history of mental illness:

The gunman, Shamar Elkins, 31, had mental health problems and had recently expressed suicidal thoughts, family members said in interviews.

The children ranged in age from 1 to 14, officials said, and seven of the eight were Mr. Elkins’. He shot them execution style, according to a spokesman for the Shreveport Police Department.

Mr. Elkins also shot two other people, including his wife, who was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries on Sunday, officials and relatives said.

After the shootings, the authorities said, Mr. Elkins took a car by force, and police officers pursued him. The officers opened fire and Mr. Elkins died, Cpl. Chris Bordelon of the Shreveport Police Department said in a news conference. It is unclear if officers killed Mr. Elkin or if he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Elkins was also no stranger to the police.

He was previously arrested for allegedly firing a gun outside of a school but was released.

Per WIO News:

According to Shreveport Police Department narrative dated March 18, 2019, Elkins was arrested in a weapons-related case, East Texas Banner respoted. According to the report, he fired multiple shots near Caddo Magnet School while children were present outside the campus. Officers reportedly recovered shell casings and a firearm, and Elkins was taken into custody.

The two women shot by Elkins were the two mothers of his seven children.

One was his wife, whom he was in the middle of divorcing, and the other was his girlfriend.

Both are currently hospitalized in critical condition.

The New York Post shared the names of the young victims:

The children were formally identified by their mothers, according to a news release from the Caddo Parish Coroner’s Office. All eight — five girls and three boys — were killed by 31-year-old Shamar Elkins, when he went on a rampage through Shreveport following an argument with his wife around 6 a.m. Sunday.

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 were all found dead inside their home in Shreveport.

Elkins fathered seven of the children and was an uncle to the eighth victim, according to local officials. It’s unclear which of the eight dead was the cousin.

Most of the victims were shot in the head while they slept, Shreveport Police Department spokesman Christopher Bordelon told NBC News.

Shreveport Police Department spokesman Christopher Bordelon told NBC News that most of the victims were shot in the head while they slept.

One of the children was killed on the roof while trying to escape, police said.

Elkins, who was later killed by police during an attempted carjacking, also shot and wounded two women — the mothers of his children — during his murderous rage.

One victim, Elkins’ wife, was shot in the face at the home with the eight kids, Bordelon told the outlet. The other injured victim is believed to be Elkins’ girlfriend, who was shot in a separate house nearby, he added.

The killer father shared four of the slain children with his wife and three with the other injured woman, according to Crystal Brown, one of the surviving women’s cousins.

Please keep all of the victims and their families in your prayers.