Sariahh Snow, 11, died on April 19, 2026, in Shreveport, Louisiana, after authorities said a domestic violence incident turned into a mass shooting that killed eight children inside a home on West 79th Street in the Cedar Grove area. Her death came during an early-morning rampage that police said involved 31-year-old Shamar Elkins, a former member of the Louisiana Army National Guard and the father of seven of the eight children killed.
The children were identified as Jayla Elkins, Shayla Elkins, Kayla Pugh, Layla Pugh, Markaydon Pugh, Sariahh Snow, Khedarrion Snow, and Braylon Snow.
The violence reportedly began before sunrise, around 5:55 a.m., when police received a call about a disturbance at a residence on West 79th Street. The caller told dispatchers that people had fled onto the roof while the suspect was still inside the home. Within minutes, the caller said Elkins had shot everyone inside. Officers arrived shortly after 6 a.m. and later cleared the home, finding multiple children dead. Police said some of the victims had tried to escape, including by crawling through a window and climbing onto the roof. A teenager was injured after jumping from the roof to get away.
Authorities said the attack was connected to violence at another nearby home on Harrison Street. Around 6:07 a.m., a second 911 caller reported that her boyfriend had shot her and fled with her three children. That caller identified the suspect as Elkins. Police later linked the Harrison Street shooting to the massacre on West 79th Street. Two adult women were shot and hospitalized with serious injuries. Reports identified them as the mothers of Elkins’ children, including his estranged wife, Shaneiqua Pugh, and Christina Snow, who was reported to be the mother of Sariahh, Khedarrion, and Braylon Snow.
Investigators described the case as a domestic violence incident. Reports said Elkins and Pugh had been arguing over their separation and were scheduled to appear in court the next day in connection with divorce proceedings. Family members said Elkins had recently spoken about mental distress and suicidal thoughts, and investigators continued examining his motive after the killings. Police said they were reviewing multiple crime scenes and evidence to understand the full sequence of what happened.
After the shootings, police said Elkins fled, carjacked a red Kia Sportage near West 79th Street and Linwood Avenue, and led officers on a chase into Bossier City. During the pursuit, officers exchanged gunfire with him near Brompton Lane. Elkins died at the scene around 7:03 a.m. Officials said it was initially unclear whether he was killed by police gunfire or died by suicide during the confrontation. Louisiana State Police were assigned to investigate the circumstances of his death because it involved officers.
No arrest was made because the suspect died shortly after the massacre. Elkins was publicly identified by police as the lone suspected shooter, and authorities said they did not believe anyone else carried out the killings with him. Because he died at the scene, he could not be charged, tried, or convicted. Police recovered weapons connected to the attack, including a handgun at the residence and a rifle-style handgun on Elkins. His prior record was also noted in reports, including a guilty plea to a weapons charge in 2019.
Sariahh’s death was part of one of the deadliest acts of violence Shreveport had seen. What began as a family crisis ended with eight children gone, two women badly wounded, a surviving teenager injured while escaping, and a community left mourning children who had been killed inside a home where they should have been safe.
