Shamar Elkins and the 2026 Shreveport Massacre
Overview of the Case
On April 19, 2026, 31-year-old Shamar Elkins carried out a devastating series of shootings against members of his own family in Shreveport, Louisiana. Eight children between the ages of 3 and 11 were killed. Seven of the children were Elkins' biological children, while the eighth was his nephew and the cousin of the other victims. Two women, identified as Elkins' wife and former wife, were also shot and seriously wounded.
The violence unfolded before sunrise at two residences in the Cedar Grove neighborhood of southern Shreveport. Investigators described the massacre as a domestic-violence attack occurring while Elkins and his wife were reportedly separating. The couple was expected to appear in court the following day. Police did not immediately announce a definitive motive, but relatives said Elkins had become increasingly distressed over the possible end of his marriage.
The First Shooting
The attack began at approximately 5:55 a.m. on April 19, 2026, at a residence on Harrison Street in Shreveport. Elkins confronted his former wife, Christina Snow, and shot her multiple times. Despite being critically wounded, Snow survived the attack and was able to provide authorities with information about Elkins and the children.
Police received the first emergency call shortly before 6:00 a.m. Officers reached the Harrison Street residence within minutes and learned that Elkins had left the area. Authorities were told that he had taken Snow's three children, who were also his children, and had traveled to another family residence.
The West 79th Street Massacre
Elkins proceeded to a house in the 300 block of West 79th Street. Several members of the extended family were inside, including his wife, Shaneiqua Pugh, their children, the children he shared with Christina Snow, and his nephew. Investigators believed that many or all of the children had been asleep when the attack began.
Inside the house, Elkins shot and killed eight children. He also shot Shaneiqua Pugh, who survived with serious injuries. Keosha Pugh, Shaneiqua's sister, and Keosha's 12-year-old daughter escaped by jumping from the roof of the house. Keosha suffered broken bones, while her daughter reportedly sustained comparatively minor injuries.
Police were initially responding to the Harrison Street shooting when a second emergency call directed them to the West 79th Street residence. Officers entered the house and discovered the children. The scene was described by law-enforcement officials as one of the most difficult and horrifying incidents the Shreveport Police Department had ever encountered.
Children Killed on April 19, 2026
- Jayla Elkins, age 3 – Killed on April 19, 2026, at the West 79th Street residence in Shreveport, Louisiana. She was one of Shamar Elkins' children.
- Shayla Elkins, age 5 – Killed on April 19, 2026, at the West 79th Street residence in Shreveport, Louisiana. She was one of Elkins' children.
- Kayla Pugh, age 6 – Killed on April 19, 2026, at the West 79th Street residence in Shreveport, Louisiana. She was one of Elkins' children.
- Layla Pugh, age 7 – Killed on April 19, 2026, at the West 79th Street residence in Shreveport, Louisiana. She was one of Elkins' children.
- Markaydon Pugh, age 10 – Killed on April 19, 2026, at the West 79th Street residence in Shreveport, Louisiana. He was Elkins' nephew and the cousin of the other children.
- Braylon Snow, age 5 – Killed on April 19, 2026, at the West 79th Street residence in Shreveport, Louisiana. He was one of the children Elkins shared with Christina Snow.
- Khedarrion Snow, age 6 – Killed on April 19, 2026, at the West 79th Street residence in Shreveport, Louisiana. He was one of Elkins' children.
- Sariahh Snow, age 11 – Killed on April 19, 2026, at the West 79th Street residence in Shreveport, Louisiana. She was the oldest of the eight children who died.
Survivors and Injured Family Members
- Christina Snow – Elkins' former wife and the mother of three of his children. She was shot at the Harrison Street residence in Shreveport on April 19, 2026, and survived with critical injuries.
- Shaneiqua Pugh – Elkins' wife and the mother of four of his children. She was shot at the West 79th Street residence and survived with serious injuries.
- Keosha Pugh – Shaneiqua Pugh's sister. She escaped from the West 79th Street house by jumping from the roof and suffered broken bones.
- Keosha Pugh's 12-year-old daughter – She escaped with her mother by jumping from the roof and reportedly sustained scratches or other minor injuries.
Flight, Carjacking and Police Pursuit
After leaving the West 79th Street residence, Elkins fled from the neighborhood. Police received information that he had stolen a vehicle while attempting to escape. Traffic officers spotted the stolen vehicle at approximately 6:17 a.m., beginning a pursuit that crossed from Shreveport into neighboring Bossier City.
At approximately 6:29 a.m., officers confronted Elkins in Bossier City. Gunfire was exchanged during the confrontation. Elkins suffered fatal gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at approximately 7:03 a.m. His death ended the immediate threat but prevented prosecutors from bringing him to trial for the murders and attempted murders.
Elkins' Background
Shamar Elkins was born on December 7, 1994, and was 31 at the time of the massacre. He had served in the Louisiana Army National Guard from 2013 until 2020 as a signal systems and fire-support specialist. He was not deployed and left the Guard with the rank of private. At the time of the killings, he reportedly worked for United Parcel Service.
Elkins had a documented history involving firearms. In 2019, he was arrested after firing a handgun at a departing vehicle near Caddo Magnet High School. Investigators said he admitted firing several rounds after claiming that someone inside the vehicle had pointed a gun at him. Because the shooting occurred close to school property, he faced charges that included illegal use of a weapon and carrying a firearm on school property.
Elkins pleaded guilty to the illegal-weapons charge in October 2019. The second charge was dismissed, and he received probation. That conviction legally prohibited him from possessing a firearm. He also had an earlier conviction for driving while intoxicated.
Warnings Before the Massacre
Relatives later described troubling warnings that reportedly preceded the killings. A woman who helped raise Elkins said that during an earlier marital conflict, he had threatened to kill his wife, the children and himself if she attempted to leave with them. The reported threat gained renewed significance after the April 2026 massacre.
Family members also said Elkins had recently struggled emotionally and had expressed suicidal thoughts. He reportedly received a mental-health evaluation and treatment through a Veterans Affairs medical facility earlier in 2026. Relatives said he remained distressed about his marriage and feared losing his wife and children.
These accounts did not provide a legal excuse for the killings, but they became part of the investigation into whether warning signs had been recognized and whether additional intervention might have prevented the attack. The massacre also prompted broader discussion in Shreveport about domestic violence, threats involving children, access to firearms and the importance of responding immediately when a person threatens murder or suicide.
The Firearm Investigation
Because Elkins had a prior felony weapons conviction, investigators examined how he obtained the firearm used during the massacre. Federal authorities identified the weapon as a .22-caliber Mossberg 715P. Their investigation led to the arrest of 56-year-old Shreveport resident Charles Ford on April 21, 2026.
Federal prosecutors accused Ford of being a felon in possession of a firearm and making a false statement to federal agents. The charges were connected to the weapon Elkins allegedly used in the April 19 attack. Ford was not accused of participating in the murders themselves, but authorities investigated his alleged role in securing or transferring the firearm to a person who was legally prohibited from possessing one.
Community Impact
The deaths of eight children devastated their relatives, classmates, teachers and the wider Shreveport community. The children ranged from preschool age to 11 years old and attended schools in the area. Grief counselors and other support services were made available as educators faced the loss of multiple students from the same extended family.
Public officials characterized the massacre as an unimaginable act of family violence. Vigils, memorials and community gatherings honored the children and supported the surviving women. Much of the public discussion centered on the young victims rather than on Elkins, emphasizing the individual lives and futures that were taken from them.
The attack became one of the deadliest mass shootings in the United States in recent years. It was also a particularly severe example of familicide, in which an offender kills multiple members of his own family. Seven children lost their lives at the hands of their father, while an eighth child was killed alongside his cousins.
Aftermath
Shamar Elkins died before he could be arrested, questioned in detail or prosecuted. As a result, investigators had to reconstruct the sequence and possible motive through physical evidence, emergency calls, surviving witnesses, family statements and Elkins' prior communications. Authorities continued examining the circumstances surrounding his acquisition of the firearm and the warnings reported by relatives.
The massacre left two mothers recovering from gunshot wounds while grieving the deaths of their children. Other surviving relatives faced physical injuries and lasting trauma from escaping the house and witnessing the destruction of their family. The case remains remembered not merely for its number of fatalities, but for the ages of the victims and the betrayal involved when a parent became the source of lethal danger to his own children.
