The man police say killed eight children Sunday in Shreveport, Louisiana, had been given nothing more than probation in a 2019 case when he fired a gun on the grounds of a school, according to a new report.
Shreveport police said Shamar Elkins 31, killed eight children Sunday morning. He also critically injured two women before being shot dead after a police chase, according to KTBS-TV.
Elkins, 31, had a prior criminal conviction after a March 2019 charge of illegal use of weapons and carrying a firearm on school property.
A police report on the incident said Elkins told police he was waiting for a friend when a car pulled up, and someone in it pointed a gun at him.
Louisiana shooter who kiIIed eight kids in broad daylight has been identified as Shamar Elkins
Where’s BLM?? https://t.co/NTGjZ28qYF pic.twitter.com/OM4eA3OEYW
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) April 19, 2026
Elkins admitted firing five shots at the car.
The incident took place less than 300 feet from the fence of Caddo Magnet School. The shots were fired toward the school, even as children were playing outside.
In October 2019, Elkins pleaded guilty to the illegal weapons charge. The other charge against him was dismissed. Elkins was sentenced to 18 months of probation.
The slain children 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. Elkins was the father of seven of the dead children.
The U.K. Guardian reported that Shaneiqua Pugh, the gunman’s wife, who was the mother of four of the slain children, is in critical condition. A second woman in critical condition was the mother of three of Elkins’s children.
Police said the incident began when Elkins shot Pugh, then went to a house where the children were gathered.
The Guardian said Elkins was “reported to have been struggling with mental health problems.”
Elkins served in the Louisiana Army National Guard from 2013 to 2020 as a signal support system specialist and a fire support specialist, the Army said. He later worked for UPS.
WATCH: Shreveport suspect Shamar Elkins running from a home; 8 children were killed and 2 injured, suspect later shot and killed by police. pic.twitter.com/KD9abfVRa5
— Resist Wire (@ResistWire) April 19, 2026
Elkins recently spent a week in a local Veterans Affairs hospital, Crystal Brown-Page, a cousin of Elkins’ brother-in-law, Troy Brown, said, according to The Washington Post.
Shaneiqua Pugh was seeking a divorce from Elkins, with a court appearance coming up Monday, Brown-Page said.
“I think that triggered something in him,” she said. “There were no previous signs.”
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