Police have named the man accused of carrying out the devastating mass shooting in Louisiana that left eight young children dead on Sunday.
Shamar Elkins, 31, was identified during a press conference in Shreveport today (April 20) as the suspect in the attack. Authorities said 10 people were shot in total — two adults and eight children.
Investigators also said Elkins was the father of seven of the eight children who were killed. Police allege the violence began with Elkins shooting his wife and another woman, who was the mother of the eighth child.
Police spokesperson Christopher Bordelon said the events started as a domestic violence incident and ended when officers shot Elkins after he fled in a vehicle he had allegedly carjacked.
The incident reportedly unfolded around 6am Sunday, when officers responded to a call about a domestic disturbance in the 300 block of West 79th Street. Bordelon said police encountered what he described as an “extensive” crime scene.
Authorities said Elkins allegedly shot one woman on a nearby roadway before going to the home, where police say he shot a second woman and the eight children inside.
The children killed — three boys and five girls — were between three and 11 years old. Police said seven were Elkins’ children, and the eighth was a cousin of the others.
Caddo Parish Coroner’s Office identified the victims as: Jayla Elkins, 3, Shayla Elkins, 5, Kayla Pugh, 6, Layla Pugh, 7, Markaydon Pugh, 10, Sariahh Snow, 11, Khedarrion Snow, 6, and Braylon Snow, 5.
Officials said early information suggests some of the children may have been shot while asleep, and that they were shot in the head. Bordelon said officers discovered what he called a “disgusting and evil scene” when they entered the residence.
Shreveport Police Chief Wayne Smith told NBC: “I just don’t know what to say. My heart is just taken aback. I just cannot begin to imagine how such an event can occur.”
After the children were killed, police say Elkins went to a nearby intersection and stole a vehicle at gunpoint. Officers pursued him into a neighboring area, where he was shot and killed, according to authorities.
A police statement reads: “Officers were forced to discharge their department-issued firearms, neutralizing the suspect.” Investigators believe a small-caliber handgun was used in the shooting, and said a “rifle-style pistol” was found on Elkins after his death.
Police said 10 people were shot during the incident, with the two adult women initially surviving. Authorities said Elkins’ wife was shot in the face and remains hospitalized in critical condition.
The second woman was described as Elkins’ girlfriend. Police said the motive is still under investigation as they work to establish what led up to the violence early Sunday morning.
Bordelon added: “We know it’s domestic in nature, we know his wife is involved, and she is the mother of at least seven of the children, with the eighth being a family friend.”
As messages of grief and tributes continue for the children, residents in the neighborhood have spoken about their shock at what happened.
A woman who lives across the street from the home told NBC she saw numerous officers enter the house at about 6.30am.
Shreveport resident Marie Montgomery said: “When they brought all those kids out of that house, that’s just the worst thing I ever seen.”