C&P Newswire

SHREVEPORT, La. — What neighbors first believed was an ordinary spring weekend turned into one of the most devastating family tragedies in recent American history.

Authorities say Shamar Elkins, 31, is responsible for the deaths of eight children — seven of them his own — in a violent rampage that unfolded early Sunday morning inside two homes in Shreveport. The children, ranging in age from just 3 to 11 years old, were found shot to death as chaos erupted across the quiet neighborhood.  

Just hours before the massacre, neighbors recall seeing Elkins sitting calmly on his porch while children played nearby.

Freddie Montgomery, who lives across the street, said the scene gave no indication of what was to come.

“I saw him outside. We waved. Kids were playing,” Montgomery told reporters. “The next morning, police were everywhere.”

When Montgomery awoke Sunday and pulled back his curtains, he saw flashing lights and officers surrounding the home. When he asked how bad it was, an officer’s response was chilling: it was “very bad.”

A DEADLY DOMESTIC BREAKDOWN

Investigators say the killings appear to have stemmed from a domestic dispute involving strained relationships, a pending divorce, and mounting personal pressures.  

Police report that Elkins first shot two women — believed to be the mothers of the children — leaving both critically injured. He then carried out the unthinkable act of killing the children, some of whom were asleep and others who reportedly tried to escape.  

In total, at least 10 people were shot during the rampage.  

A COMMUNITY IN SHOCK

Neighbors and family members say warning signs may have been present but not fully understood.

Authorities revealed that Elkins had a prior weapons conviction and had recently struggled with mental health issues, including a reported hospitalization.  

The tragedy has been described by officials as the deadliest mass shooting in the United States in more than two years — and one of the worst crimes in Shreveport’s history.  

“This is a nightmare,” one official said, as grief spread across the city and beyond.

FINAL MOMENTS AND INVESTIGATION

After the killings, Elkins fled the scene, carjacked a vehicle, and led police on a chase into a neighboring parish. The pursuit ended in gunfire, where he died — though authorities are still determining whether he was killed by police or took his own life.  

Investigators continue to piece together a timeline and motive, while the community mourns the loss of eight innocent lives.

A NATION DEMANDS ANSWERS

As vigils begin and families prepare for funerals, the tragedy is reigniting national conversations about domestic violence, mental health, and access to firearms.

Experts say cases like this often involve escalating warning signs — but too often, intervention comes too late.

For one Shreveport neighborhood, the echoes of children playing have been replaced with silence.

And a community is left asking: how could this happen — and could it have been prevented?