Shreveport, Louisiana, is still in shock after one of the most devastating family mass killings the city has ever seen. Authorities say eight children were killed in a domestic violence attack that unfolded on Sunday, April 19, across two homes in the city. Police say the suspect was 31-year-old Shamar Elkins, and that seven of the children were his own. Two women were also critically injured.

According to police and multiple news reports, the violence began at one residence, then moved to another home on West 79th Street in Shreveport’s Cedar Grove area. Investigators say the children were found shot to death at the second location, and the suspect later fled, carjacked a vehicle, and died after a police pursuit ended in nearby Bossier City. Authorities have said the motive is still under investigation.

The latest local reporting says the eight victims were children between 3 and 11 years old, identified by the Caddo Parish Coroner’s Office. Local authorities and national outlets have described the case as rooted in domestic violence, with officials trying to piece together the timeline and the warning signs that may have come before the killings.

One major new development came on April 21, 2026: local outlet KSLA reported that a Shreveport man in his 50s was arrested for allegedly helping the suspect obtain the gun used in the massacre. That arrest has added another layer to the case, as investigators now look not only at motive, but also at how the weapon was obtained.

Reports have also pointed to a troubled background. National coverage says Elkins had prior legal issues involving a firearm, and police have been examining whether domestic turmoil, mental-health struggles, and family conflict played a role in the lead-up to the attack. Still, officials have not announced a final motive, and some details remain unsettled as the investigation continues.

For now, Shreveport is left grieving, mourning eight young lives, and asking the same painful questions many communities ask after a tragedy like this: Were there warning signs, could this have been prevented, and what must change so it never happens again? City leaders, police, and families are calling for support, accountability, and answers as the community struggles to process an almost unimaginable loss.