Gunman who killed 8 children in Louisiana domestic shooting identified

KSLA, CNN

By Chris Boyette, Leah Asmelash, CNN

(CNN) — [Breaking news update, published at 5:53 p.m. ET]

Police have identified the gunman in Sunday’s fatal shooting of eight children in Shreveport, Louisiana, as Shamar Elkins, the Shreveport mayor’s communications director Leigh Anne Evensky confirmed to CNN.

[Original story, published at 1:18 p.m. ET]

Eight children were shot and killed across three homes in south Shreveport, Louisiana, early Sunday in what authorities are calling a domestic disturbance. It is the nation’s deadliest mass shooting since January 2024.

The children who were fatally shot ranged in age from 1 to 14, police said.

Two adult women and one teenager were also wounded in the shootings, Shreveport Mayor Tom Arceneaux said. The women are in critical condition, Arceneaux added, and the teenager has non-life threatening injuries.

“It rattles the entire city,” Arceneaux said. “It affects us all.”

There have been at least 114 mass shootings in the United States so far this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive, which like CNN defines a mass shooting as one in which four or more people are shot, not including the shooter.

The suspect died after being shot by officers, said Shreveport Police Cpl. Chris Bordelon.

Investigators believe the suspect is related to at least some of the victims. The mayor said it’s believed the suspect had a relationship with one or both of the women, but it’s not clear.

Police responded to reports of shots fired in the Cedar Grove community of Shreveport just after 6 a.m. CT and found victims in two homes along West 79th Street and a third home on Harrison Street, Bordelon said.

“This is a very large scene with multiple deceased children present,” Bordelon said.

The suspect carjacked a vehicle and led police on a chase into the next parish, Bordelon said.

“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,” he said.

The Louisiana State Police are investigating the officer-involved shooting.

“Investigators are working to process the scene and gather further information,” state police said in a statement. No officers were injured, state police said.

“This is a tragic situation, maybe the worst tragic situation we’ve ever had in Shreveport,” Arceneaux said.

“I just don’t know what to say, you know? My heart is just taken aback. I just cannot begin to imagine how such an event can occur,” Shreveport Police Chief Wayne Smith said.

Children tried to escape out the back door during the shooting, said state Rep. Tammy Phelps during a news conference Sunday afternoon with other city officials. She called on residents to “not forget” the police officers and first responders in their prayers.

The mayor called the scene “horrific.”

City councilwoman Tabatha H. Taylor broke down in tears when speaking of the events.

“I’m going to ask the community, along with prayer, with every mental health consultant, counselor, that is out here: This family and this community needs you,” she said. “I need you. Because how do we get through this?”

More than 30% of the murders in Shreveport are domestic in relation, said city councilman Grayson Boucher.

US House Speaker Mike Johnson, who represents the Shreveport area in Congress, called the killings “heartbreaking.”

“We’re holding the victims, their families and loved ones, and our Shreveport community close in our thoughts and prayers during this incredibly difficult time,” Johnson said.

Police have not released the names of the victims or the suspected shooter.

Superintendent Keith Burton of Shreveport’s Caddo Parish Public Schools said the community “must take care of our children, support our families, and stand beside our educators and first responders who are carrying the weight of this moment.”

Arceneaux, the mayor, said the tragedy reaches “far beyond the scene itself.”

“These are the kinds of moments that leave a lasting imprint — on our hearts, on our minds, and on our sense of safety,” he said.

This story has been updated with additional information.

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