The Louisiana gunman who murdered eight children — including seven of his own — before he was killed was a 31-year-old Army vet and UPS worker who posted a picture of himself with one of his daughters hours before Sunday’s massacre.
Shamar Elkins unleashed his unthinkable carnage at three addresses in Shreveport shortly after 6 a.m. Central time, authorities said.
The slain victims ranged in age from 3 to 11, and there were gasps as a police rep read out their ages at a press conference Sunday.
The children have been identified 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, by the Caddo Parish Coroner’s Office. Seven were siblings and one was their cousin.
Shamar Elkins with his children in a photo posted to Facebook in 2023. Elkin murdered eight kids, including seven of his own, in Shreveport on Saturday night.Facebook/Shamar Elkins
Elkins also shot two women — his wife, with whom he shared four children, and the mother of his other three children — in the head, and both are in critical condition.
Elkins subsequently was chased by local police, who shot him dead as he drove into neighboring Bossier City.
On his Facebook page, Elkins shared a picture of himself with his eldest daughter as she ate a burger Saturday, hours before his rampage.
“Lol!!!! Took my oldest on a lil 1 on 1 date had to catch her down bad ugh ugh,” the killer wrote, along with a string of laughing emojis.
A photo Elkins posted of his daughter eating lunch just hours before the massacre.Facebook/Shamar Elkins
Two weeks ago, Elkins shared a picture of himself posing with seven children, calling them “all my kids,” as he described taking them to church for an Easter service.
“Happy Easter had a wonderful time at church for the first time with all my kids what a blessed day,” he wrote in the Facebook post.
Elkins posted a photo with “all my kids” going to church for Easter on April 5, 2026.Facebook/Shamar Elkins
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But the same day, he confessed that he was drowning in “dark thoughts,” wanted to end his life, and that his wife wanted a divorce in a phone call with his mother and stepfather, the New York Times reported.
“I told him, ‘You can beat stuff, man. I don’t care what you’re going through, you can beat it,’” his stepfather, Marcus Jackson, told the publication. “Then I remember him telling me: ‘Some people don’t come back from their demons.’”
Elkins also hinted at mental health struggles in another recent Facebook post, in which he called for God to “guard” his mind.
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“Dear God, Today I ask You to help me guard my mind and my emotions,” read the post dated April 9.
“When negativity arises, remind me to say, ‘It does not belong to me, in the name of Jesus,’ ” he said.
Elkins’ wife posted a photo of him in an Army uniform in 2016.Facebook/Shaneiqua Elkins
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“When depression tries to settle in, when anger rises, when anxiety or panic comes, give me the awareness to recognize what is not from You and the strength to reject it immediately in the name of JESUS.”
The mass murderer’s wife previously shared a picture of Elkins in a US Army uniform in 2016, as she awaited his return from active service.
“Been waiting for yu [sic] 5 more days… And yu all mines. Damn bby I gt to fatten yu up,” she wrote at the time.
Blood splattered on the door of one of the houses where Elkins went on a shooting rampage.AP
Police at the scene of the mass shooting in Shreveport on April 19, 2026.AP
Police entering a house during the investigation into the shooting.AP Photo/Gerald Herbert
The Louisiana State Police is handling the case.AP
The killer father worked at UPS and served with the Louisiana Army National Guard from August 2013 to August 2020 as a signal support system specialist and fire support specialist, according to the Times.
In March 2019, Elkins was arrested on a charge of illegal use of weapons and carrying a firearm on school property, KTBS reported.
He was just 300 feet from a Shreveport high school when he fired five rounds at a car — precisely in the direction of the school — as it sped away, according to a police report obtained by the outlet.
He pleaded guilty to the illegal weapons charge in October 2019 and was placed on probation for 18 months. The firearm charge was dismissed.
Sunday’s shooting is being handled by Louisiana State Police as it crosses parish boundaries.
People leaving flowers at the scene of the mass shooting.AP
Locals gathered at Linwood Avenue and 79th Street near the scene of the shooting.AP
Shreveport Councilwoman Tabatha Taylor hugging a woman at the crime scene.AP Photo/Gerald Herbert
Locals consoling each other near the scene of the mass shooting.AP Photo/Gerald Herbert
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry said he and first lady Sharon were heartbroken over the events.
“We’re praying for everyone affected. We’re deeply grateful to the law enforcement officers and first responders working tirelessly on the scene,” Landry wrote on Facebook.
US House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), who was born in Shreveport, wrote on X, “Heartbreaking tragedy in Shreveport this morning — 8 children were senselessly killed and multiple others were injured.
“My team is in touch with local law enforcement as more details emerge,” he said.
“We’re holding the victims, their families and loved ones, and our Shreveport community close in our thoughts and prayers during this incredibly difficult time. And we are grateful to the Shreveport, Bossier, and Louisiana State Police for their swift response,” Johnson added.
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