Man kills 7 of his children, and another child in shooting in Louisiana neighborhood
I’ve. and they came and so we’re going. How was your game yesterday? It was good. Did you get rain. I guess he left so so he’s run across the street driving *** car’s coming. Yes make my face out there. Oh. It’s. I Make *** point where you want to. Hello, hello. I’m gonna do that. This is y’all’s. I. Yeah. rash. We get that off in just *** second. So yeah, we got. Thank you for waiting for me right now. For the individuals alive we have seen here in what they think last night’s mass shooting that occurred in West seventy-ninth. There just off the. 5. So What is the name. I don’t feel any opportunity. I, I’m so tired of feeling behind the house. Um mhm mhm. I saw 12 or something early, um. 6. That’s if you do. Hey. He’s gonna be facing this way, I think. Why? Yeah, I’m at the shooter. I don’t think so. I’m about to interview Chris. Right. How are you doing? OK, I’m Hey. *** whole bunch of. I was Oh Like other than the basics of like like. And we’re faith in this way because of that sun, the way the sun is. OK. Make sure. Come, uh, Chris, stand up there and get my mic check. Hey, you put it back on if you need to right there, OK, whatever, whatever y’all need to send. Say it, say it again. It’s Chris talking. That’s Chris. Mhm. Oh, I’m just letting y’all get y’all put together, OK, because I don’t have *** sta. It. You’re just gonna like, is it OK if I get it? OK, what did you say, Jonathan? They’re there. They’re there already. They’re like. Is this yours, Chris? Can I move it over *** little bit over here? Yeah, like in this possible, and then I’m gonna try to get as closer to you as possible. Sorry, ma’am. OK, that’s better. OK. Bye bye. What kind of mic do you use? My dad today. You’re good. If you want to yell, I’ll take I’ll talk loud as possible. I could get your phone closer, yeah, I will. Are y’all streaming live streaming? Yeah, this is. Man, the sun going behind the clouds. What did you say sun going behind the clouds. Yes. Good morning. We’re gonna start, we’re gonna give some initial information that we have, and I want to start with this is all preliminary information. This is *** very large scene, uh, with 4 specific locations that we are currently addressing, uh, events from early this morning. This morning, officers responded to *** shooting that occurred just after 6 a.m. In doing so, we’ve determined that this was *** domestic call in nature. The responding officers located *** crime scene here in the 300 block of West 79th Street, and this is *** rather extensive crime scene spanning between two residences here. There is also another residence on Harrison Street that is part of this crime scene as well. Uh, right now we have at least 10 individuals that were struck by gunfire last night in *** domestic disturbance. 8 of these individuals are deceased. The ranges of the decedents are from 1 year of age to approximately 14 years of age. All of the deceased in this case are juveniles. The individual responsible, what’s leaving this scene, uh, performed *** carjacking right here in close proximity to the corner of West 79th and Lynnwood. At which point in time, Shreveport Police patrol officers got behind that vehicle and *** chased into. The vehicle was chased into Bossier Parish, and at which point in time Shreveport police officers did discharge their firearm, and that individual is deceased. We do believe him to be the only individual that fired gunshots at these locations here. Uh, he is deceased, and Louisiana State Police will be taking over that portion in which the Shreveport police officers discharged their firearms. So we don’t have any more information on the shooting that occurred in Bossier. What we can tell you is this is *** domestic disturbance here in the 300 block of West 79th Street. This is *** very large scene, uh, with multiple deceased children present and so we’re gonna ask for your patience in us getting information out. We will release the name of the suspect that is deceased, uh, when we have. Made the proper notifications. We do know that some of the children inside were his descendants, uh, and so once we are sure of everyone’s names and pages and the proper channels have been notified, we’ll be releasing all of that information, but we did want to come on and give what information we have available. So at this point in time I’d like to bring the mayor. I know he has some words and he’s been here since the. Thank you, Chris, uh. Whenever we have *** situation like this. The words of the poet John Dunn always come to mind. No man is an island known to himself. So therefore never ask for who bell toll tolls for me. We have *** very They have hurting families. They have hurting police officers, coroner’s personnel, fire department, sheriff. And this affects the entire. So we all mourn with these families. I ask, it’s *** Sunday morning. I ask all of you. Who are listening who might be able. Pray at your services this morning for not just this family, for all the victims, for the victims who are at the hospital and for the Cedar Grove. And for the community at large, as well as police officers, coroners, fire department, uh, uh, Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office, um, this is *** tragic situation, maybe the worst tragic situation we’ve ever had in Shreveport. And so right now we’re gonna process the information. It is in very good hands, uh, but it’s ***, *** terrible morning in Shreveport, and we all mourn with the victim. My heart goes out to this entire community for the tragic event that has taken place this morning. Uh, I just don’t know what to say and I, uh, my heart is just taken back. I just cannot begin to imagine how such an event. It can occur. I want to let the community know that uh all of my resources are out here processing uh every piece of evidence and everything and at some time uh in the near future we’ll be able to give some more conclusive information about exactly what took place. I want to thank, uh, the agency that have reached out to me this morning. And offered their assistance. Uh, thank you so much the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Department, the Louisiana, uh, State Police Chief of Fire Department, and all that have either, uh, came out to help or call and offered their assistance. Uh, but we’re gonna be working diligently, however long it takes, uh, to get some answers to what is taking place. Look alike. Hey. As Chief Smith indicated, we will release more information when it’s available. We will be working closely with the coroner’s office, so look for some information hopefully by tomorrow on the information in regards to the 8 children. And just please keep this community and these officers, uh, in, in your thoughts and prayers because as the mayor indicated, this is an extensive scene, unlikely thing. Most of us as soon as we have more information, we have any questions, Chris, can you give the exact address of where this occurred, the shooting occurred? Well, so you have three different scenes. The shooting itself occurred just down the road over here in the 300 block of West 79th, but there’s also another shooting related to this on Harrison Street, and that there’s an adjacent residence on West 79th 9th where one of the victims ran to after the shooting. So it’s, it is an extensive scene. Once we have all the medical information, we’ll do the best we can to sit together. Chris, what time did all of this just start? Ear Early morning hours, uh, the initial domestic dispute is somewhere in the 5 o’clock hour, I believe, um, but once I have *** timeline, we’ll, we’ll detail that in. Have you ever seen anything like this in your years of working, Chris? Unlike anything I’ve ever seen. I’d like this. I know you said you can’t release the name of the suspect yet, but can you give an age? Was he *** juvenile? Was he an adult? No, the suspect was an adult. We’ll get that information out hopefully lots more. And you said it happened at multiple locations. Gunfire happened at multiple locations. How many locations exactly? So, uh, Harrison Street address, we know there’s *** shooting there. There’s multiple deceased persons here in the 300 block of West 79th and then the shooting that occurred in Bossier parish. So we have several crime scenes and we really want to thank Louisiana State Police in Bossier. Our friends with the sheriff’s office, you know this type of they’ve seen requires *** lot of resources, requires *** lot of officers. We wanna make sure that this is thoroughly investigated that we can do the best we can to try to understand. this. OK do the best we can to explain it. What closure we can get to the families involved in this and you’re sure they’re all connected, all the scenes. Yes, absolutely these scenes are undoubtedly connected. There is no right now there is no public safety threat and no violence and that individual is deceased. Are you able to share *** motive at this time? You know it’s it’s OK. Thank you all. Thank you. Turn this off.
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A Louisiana father fatally shot eight children, including seven of his own, in an attack on his family Sunday morning that stretched across two houses in a Shreveport neighborhood left shaken by one of the nation’s deadliest mass shootings in recent years, police said.Two women, including the gunman’s wife who was the mother of their children, were also shot and critically wounded, according to Shreveport Police Department spokesperson Chris Bordelon. Officials said the children — who were all killed in the same house — ranged in age from 3 to 11 years old.The gunman, identified as 31-year-old Shamar Elkins, died after a police pursuit that ended with officers firing on him, according to Bordelon. Authorities did not say what may have set off the violence but Bordelon said detectives were confident the shooting was “entirely a domestic incident.”The attack was the deadliest mass shooting in the U.S. in more than two years.“I just don’t know what to say, my heart is just taken aback,” Shreveport Police Chief Wayne Smith said. “I cannot begin to imagine how such an event could occur.”Bordelon said police were familiar with Elkins, who had been arrested in a 2019 firearms case, but he said officials were not aware of any other domestic violence issues.Police said the attacks began before sunrise in a neighborhood south of downtown Shreveport when the suspect shot a woman at one home and then drove to the other location “where this heinous act was carried out.”Seven children were killed inside the second house, and one was found dead on the roof after apparently trying to escape, Bordelon said. Another child jumped off the roof and was expected to survive after being taken to a hospital.State Rep. Tammy Phelps said some children tried to get away through the back door. “I can’t even imagine what the police officers, first responders actually dealt with when they got here today,” she said at a news conference.Family member says suspect was separating from his wifeThe victims were three boys and five girls, according to the Caddo Parish Coroner’s office.Shamar Elkins and his wife were in the middle of separating and were due in court Monday, said Crystal Brown, who is a cousin of one of the wounded women. Brown said the couple had been arguing about the separation before the shooting. “He murdered his children,” Brown said. “He shot his wife.”Elkins shared four children with his wife and three children with another woman who lived close by and who was also shot, according to Brown. All the children were together at one house, she said.Brown described all the children as “happy kids, very friendly, very sweet.”A neighbor wakes up to a mass shootingLiza Demming, who lives two houses down from where most of the victims were shot, said her security camera captured video of the suspect running away along with the sound of two shots.“That’s pretty much all I saw, was him running out of the house and the cars leaving,” she said.Demming later went outside and saw the covered body of a child on the home’s roof.Pastor Marty T. Johnson Sr., of nearby St. Gabriel Community Baptist Church, who owns one of the homes where the shootings occurred, said a person who works for him had rented it to the family, but he never had dealings with them.“What began as a domestic dispute has ended in irreversible harm,” the parish’s district attorney’s office said in a statement.Shreveport is overwhelmed by griefIt was the deadliest mass shooting in the U.S. since eight people were killed in a Chicago suburb in January 2024, according to a database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University.At a news conference outside the residence where one of the shootings occurred, officials appeared stunned, requesting patience and prayers from the community as they sorted through multiple crime scenes.“This is a tragic situation — maybe the worst tragic situation we’ve ever had,” said Tom Arceneaux, mayor of the city in northwestern Louisiana with about 180,000 residents. “It’s a terrible morning.”Hours after the shooting, mourners gathered outside the single-story house on 79th Street and laid flowers. One door appeared stained with blood. Later that evening at a nearby prayer vigil, Kimberlin Jackson joined other members of the community who lit candles for the victims in a parking lot.“It just makes you take your children and hug them and hold them and tell them how much you love them,” she said. Seewer reported from Toledo, Ohio. Associated Press reporters Jake Offenhartz in New York, Jeff Martin in Atlanta and Steve Karnowski in Minneapolis contributed.
A Louisiana father fatally shot eight children, including seven of his own, in an attack on his family Sunday morning that stretched across two houses in a Shreveport neighborhood left shaken by one of the nation’s deadliest mass shootings in recent years, police said.
Two women, including the gunman’s wife who was the mother of their children, were also shot and critically wounded, according to Shreveport Police Department spokesperson Chris Bordelon. Officials said the children — who were all killed in the same house — ranged in age from 3 to 11 years old.
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The gunman, identified as 31-year-old Shamar Elkins, died after a police pursuit that ended with officers firing on him, according to Bordelon. Authorities did not say what may have set off the violence but Bordelon said detectives were confident the shooting was “entirely a domestic incident.”
The attack was the deadliest mass shooting in the U.S. in more than two years.
“I just don’t know what to say, my heart is just taken aback,” Shreveport Police Chief Wayne Smith said. “I cannot begin to imagine how such an event could occur.”
Bordelon said police were familiar with Elkins, who had been arrested in a 2019 firearms case, but he said officials were not aware of any other domestic violence issues.
Police said the attacks began before sunrise in a neighborhood south of downtown Shreveport when the suspect shot a woman at one home and then drove to the other location “where this heinous act was carried out.”
Seven children were killed inside the second house, and one was found dead on the roof after apparently trying to escape, Bordelon said. Another child jumped off the roof and was expected to survive after being taken to a hospital.
State Rep. Tammy Phelps said some children tried to get away through the back door. “I can’t even imagine what the police officers, first responders actually dealt with when they got here today,” she said at a news conference.
Family member says suspect was separating from his wife
The victims were three boys and five girls, according to the Caddo Parish Coroner’s office.
Shamar Elkins and his wife were in the middle of separating and were due in court Monday, said Crystal Brown, who is a cousin of one of the wounded women. Brown said the couple had been arguing about the separation before the shooting.
“He murdered his children,” Brown said. “He shot his wife.”
Elkins shared four children with his wife and three children with another woman who lived close by and who was also shot, according to Brown. All the children were together at one house, she said.
Brown described all the children as “happy kids, very friendly, very sweet.”
A neighbor wakes up to a mass shooting
Liza Demming, who lives two houses down from where most of the victims were shot, said her security camera captured video of the suspect running away along with the sound of two shots.
“That’s pretty much all I saw, was him running out of the house and the cars leaving,” she said.
Demming later went outside and saw the covered body of a child on the home’s roof.
Pastor Marty T. Johnson Sr., of nearby St. Gabriel Community Baptist Church, who owns one of the homes where the shootings occurred, said a person who works for him had rented it to the family, but he never had dealings with them.
“What began as a domestic dispute has ended in irreversible harm,” the parish’s district attorney’s office said in a statement.
Shreveport is overwhelmed by grief
It was the deadliest mass shooting in the U.S. since eight people were killed in a Chicago suburb in January 2024, according to a database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University.
At a news conference outside the residence where one of the shootings occurred, officials appeared stunned, requesting patience and prayers from the community as they sorted through multiple crime scenes.
“This is a tragic situation — maybe the worst tragic situation we’ve ever had,” said Tom Arceneaux, mayor of the city in northwestern Louisiana with about 180,000 residents. “It’s a terrible morning.”
Hours after the shooting, mourners gathered outside the single-story house on 79th Street and laid flowers. One door appeared stained with blood. Later that evening at a nearby prayer vigil, Kimberlin Jackson joined other members of the community who lit candles for the victims in a parking lot.
“It just makes you take your children and hug them and hold them and tell them how much you love them,” she said.
Seewer reported from Toledo, Ohio. Associated Press reporters Jake Offenhartz in New York, Jeff Martin in Atlanta and Steve Karnowski in Minneapolis contributed.
