A rooftop escape turned into a desperate last move as a mass shooting inside a Louisiana home left eight children dead, with police saying a father hunted them down one by one in what they described as an “execution-style” attack.
Authorities in Shreveport say the violence erupted early Sunday, when a frantic 911 caller reported being “on top of the house” while the gunman remained inside.
Minutes later, that caller told dispatchers she and her children had climbed down from the roof and made it into the backyard.
Police have not publicly identified the survivors or confirmed their relationship to the suspect, but said both were in stable condition.
Investigators say the gunman, later identified as Shamar Elkins, moved through the home as children tried to escape, with some climbing through a window and onto the roof in an attempt to get away.
At least one child was found dead near that escape point.
Officials said eight children—ranging in age from 3 to 11—were killed. Seven of them were Elkins’ own children, while the eighth was a relative.
The victims were 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.
Police said many of the children were shot while they slept, with most suffering gunshot wounds to the head.
“It is a disgusting and evil scene,” police spokesperson Christopher Bordelon stated.
As the shooting unfolded, two adult women were also struck by gunfire. One, identified as Elkins’ wife, was shot in the face but survived. The other is believed to be his girlfriend.
Both women were hospitalized, with one undergoing surgery. A ninth child—a teenager—escaped by jumping from the roof, suffering non-life-threatening injuries.
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The violence did not stop at the home.
Minutes after the initial attack, police say Elkins targeted a second residence.
Another emergency caller reported that her boyfriend had shot her, taken her three children, and fled.
Authorities say Elkins then carjacked a vehicle at gunpoint near Linwood Avenue and West 79th Street as he tried to get away.
By around 6:30 a.m., officers located him in neighboring Bossier Parish, where the situation turned into a shootout.
“Officers were forced to discharge their department-issued firearms, neutralizing the suspect,” police said.
Elkins died at the scene following the exchange of gunfire. Officials have not said whether he was killed by officers or took his own life.
When police searched the vehicle, they found no children inside.
Investigators said Elkins used multiple weapons during the rampage, including a small-caliber handgun.
When officers confronted him, he was armed with what authorities described as a “rifle-style pistol.”
Police have not yet established a clear motive but say the violence appears to be tied to a domestic dispute.
“We know it’s domestic in nature, we know his wife is involved, and she is the mother of at least seven of the children, with the eighth being a family friend,” Bordelon said.
Authorities also confirmed Elkins had a prior criminal record, including a 2019 conviction on a weapons charge.
He previously served in the Louisiana Army National Guard from 2013 to 2020 as a signal support system specialist and fire support specialist.
Investigators are also examining reports that Elkins had been going through a divorce and was scheduled to appear in court the day after the shooting.
The scale of the violence has shaken local officials, who described the incident as one of the most devastating cases they have ever encountered.
Shreveport Police Chief Wayne Smith said the department is working through multiple scenes connected to the attack, which he noted were “one of the most challenging incidents” they have ever encountered.
He also described it as “one of the worst days that could have ever happened here in Shreveport.”
Smith said investigators are reviewing “every piece of evidence at every scene” to determine exactly how the events unfolded.
“I just don’t know what to say. My heart is just taken aback,” he added.
Local leaders pointed to the role domestic violence plays in the city’s crime trends.
“Over 30% of our crimes and 30% of our murders in the city of Shreveport are domestic in relation,” City Councilman Grayson Boucher said.
“Now that number has gone up,” he added. “We’ve more than doubled our homicide in the city of Shreveport because of one act of domestic violence.”
Caddo Parish Sheriff Henry Whitehorn said the tragedy came just days after officials had gathered to highlight efforts to combat domestic violence in the community.
“I don’t believe that any of us could have imagined that only days later our community would be shaken by the most heart-breaking tragedy we have ever witnessed,” Whitehorn said.
Louisiana State Police confirmed their detectives will investigate the circumstances surrounding Elkins’ death, as is standard when an officer-involved shooting occurs.
Officials said the investigation remains ongoing.
