Five-year-old girl Shayla Elkins was one of eight children killed on April 19, 2026, in Shreveport, Louisiana, during a domestic-violence mass shooting that unfolded across multiple locations in the Cedar Grove area. Authorities identified the children killed as Jayla Elkins, Shayla Elkins, Kayla Pugh, Layla Pugh, Markaydon Pugh, Sariahh Snow, Khedarrion Snow and Braylon Snow.
Police said seven of the children were the gunman's own children, while one was their cousin.
The violence began early that Sunday morning when police were called to a home on Harrison Street for reports of gunfire. Investigators said the suspect, 31-year-old Shamar Elkins, first shot a woman there, later identified in reports as the mother of some of his children. She survived with serious injuries and told authorities that Elkins had taken her children and fled. From there, police said, Elkins went to another nearby home on West 79th Street, where several children and adults were inside.
At the West 79th Street home, the attack became a massacre. Authorities said the children were shot in what police described as an execution-style killing. Seven children were found dead inside the home, and an eighth child was found outside after apparently trying to escape. Police said some of the victims appeared to have tried to flee through windows or onto the roof. Two adult women were also shot and survived; another child or teenager was injured while escaping from the roof.
After the shootings, Elkins fled the area and allegedly carjacked a vehicle at gunpoint. Shreveport officers pursued him into Bossier Parish, where the chase ended in Bossier City. Police said officers exchanged gunfire with him, and Elkins died at the scene. Early reports described him as being killed after the confrontation with police, while later reporting indicated investigators were also examining whether the fatal wound was self-inflicted. Because Elkins died, there was no murder arrest or trial against him.
Authorities identified Shamar Elkins as the sole gunman in the killings. Police said he acted alone in the shootings, and officials described the case as domestic in nature. Reports said Elkins had been going through a separation from his wife and that the couple had been expected in court shortly after the shooting. Family members also told reporters he had been struggling with dark thoughts and mental-health concerns before the attack, though police said they were not aware of prior domestic-violence calls involving him.
Elkins had previously served in the Louisiana Army National Guard from 2013 to 2020 and had a prior weapons-related conviction. Investigators said he used multiple weapons during the attack, including a rifle-style pistol recovered after the chase and a handgun found at the scene. The killings left Shreveport officials describing the day as one of the worst tragedies in the city's history.
A separate arrest was made after the massacre. Federal authorities charged 56-year-old Charles Ford of Shreveport in connection with the firearm Elkins allegedly used. Ford was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and making false statements to federal agents. Prosecutors said the charges were tied to the weapon used in the April 19 mass shooting, and reports said Ford allegedly admitted possessing the firearm after initially giving investigators false information. Those federal charges related to how Elkins obtained or accessed the gun, not to Ford being accused of personally taking part in the killings.
