[WATCH] Father Kills Eight Children Including Seven of His Own in Horrific Shreveport Louisiana Mass Shooting

Eight children are dead. The youngest was just three years old. And the man responsible for this unspeakable horror was their own father.

On Saturday, April 19, 2026, Shamar Elkins, a 31 year old Army veteran and former UPS worker, carried out one of the deadliest mass shootings in recent American history in the Cedar Grove neighborhood of Shreveport, Louisiana. He killed eight children across two homes before dawn, seven of whom were his own flesh and blood. The eighth victim was his young nephew.

A Nightmare Before Dawn in Cedar Grove

The carnage began around 6 AM on Harrison Street, where Elkins first shot his wife inside the home. She survived the attack, but the violence was only beginning. Sources say Elkins then got into his vehicle and drove to a second location on 79th Street, where the children had been staying.

What happened next is almost too horrific to put into words. Elkins opened fire on the house, targeting the children inside. Reports indicate that some of the kids tried to escape by climbing onto the roof of the home to hide from the gunfire. Let that sink in for a moment. Children as young as three years old, scrambling for their lives in the dark, trying to get away from their own father.

His ex-wife was also present at the 79th Street home and was shot during the attack. She survived her injuries as well. But eight innocent children did not make it out alive. 

The Victims: Lives Stolen Too Soon

The victims ranged in age from 3 to 11 years old. Among those identified so far are Sariahh Snow, who was just 11 years old, Khedarrion Snow, age 6, and Braylon Snow, who was only 5. The names of the remaining five children have not yet been publicly released as authorities continue to notify extended family members.

Every single one of these children had their entire lives ahead of them. They were babies, toddlers, elementary school kids. They should have been waking up on a Saturday morning to watch cartoons and eat cereal. Instead, their lives were violently taken by the one person who was supposed to protect them above all else.

The Shreveport community is absolutely devastated. Neighbors in the Cedar Grove area have described the scene as something out of a nightmare. Memorials and vigils have already begun forming near both homes as the city tries to process this unimaginable loss.

The Chase and the End of Shamar Elkins

After the shootings, Elkins fled the scene and led police on a car chase that crossed into neighboring Bossier City. During the pursuit, he reportedly stole a vehicle in an attempt to escape. But law enforcement caught up with him, and Elkins was killed by police, ending the rampage permanently.

Authorities have classified this as a domestic violence incident, which has sparked a broader conversation about how we categorize mass violence in this country. When a man executes eight children, calling it simply a domestic dispute feels like it barely scratches the surface of what actually took place. This was a massacre. This was a man who made a deliberate choice to end the lives of children who called him Dad.

Elkins served in the U.S. Army and had previously worked for UPS. At this time, investigators have not released a specific motive, but the domestic nature of the attacks and the targeting of both his current wife and ex-wife suggest a pattern of violence rooted in control and rage. Sources close to the investigation say authorities are still piecing together the full timeline of events leading up to that Saturday morning.

A Country That Keeps Failing Its Children

This is now the deadliest mass shooting in the United States since 2024. And once again, the victims are children. We have seen this cycle play out over and over in this country. The shock, the grief, the vigils, the calls for change, and then the slow fade back to normal until the next tragedy hits.

But there is nothing normal about burying eight children who were killed by their father. There is nothing normal about kids climbing onto a roof at 6 AM trying to dodge bullets. There is nothing normal about any of this, and we need to stop pretending otherwise.

The conversation around domestic violence, access to firearms, and the protection of children in volatile households needs to be louder than ever. Red flags in domestic situations are often ignored or minimized until it is far too late. How many more children have to die before we take meaningful action?

This is a domestic violence incident that resulted in the deaths of eight children. — Shreveport Police

That quote from Shreveport Police says it plainly, but the weight of those words is crushing. Eight children. Gone. Because the systems in place failed to stop a man who was clearly capable of the worst kind of violence.

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, the National Domestic Violence Hotline is available 24/7 at 1-800-799-7233. Do not wait. Do not assume it will get better on its own. Reach out now.

We want to hear from you. How do you think communities and lawmakers should respond to tragedies like this? What needs to change to protect children in dangerous domestic situations? Drop your thoughts below.