Eight children killed at home in Louisiana domestic violence, police say

InternationalEight children killed at home in Louisiana domestic violence, police sayBy Reuters -Apr 21, 2026A gunman identified as Shamar Elkins killed seven of his ‌children and an eighth minor in a domestic violence incident on Sunday in Shreveport, Louisiana, before police fatally shot him during a vehicle chase, authorities said. Seven bodies were found inside the house where the shooting occurred, while the eighth youth died attempting a rooftop escape, Shreveport Police Department spokesperson Christopher ​Bordelon told TV station KTBS. One crime scene was “incredibly gruesome”, Bordelon told KTBS. Preliminary information indicated the suspect first shot a woman and ​then went to a nearby home where he killed the children, according to a Facebook post ⁠from the Shreveport police. The children’s ages ranged from about 1 to 14, police said. Two women were being treated at a ​hospital for serious injuries, the post said. The suspect and one woman who was shot were the parents of seven of the children, ​Bordelon told TV station KSLA. One woman sustained life-threatening injuries, and multiple families were affected, he told KSLA. The shooting started after 6 a.m. (1100 GMT) on Sunday, he told reporters. Police identified the suspect as Shamar Elkins, according to Leigh Anne Evensky, director of communications for the Shreveport mayor’s office. The suspect carjacked a ​vehicle after the shootings and was killed when police fired at the vehicle during a chase that went into neighboring Bossier ​Parish, Bordelon said. Louisiana State Police are investigating the shooting of the suspect, spokesperson Kate Stegall said. “This is a tragic situation, maybe the worst tragic ‌situation we’ve ⁠ever had,” Shreveport Mayor Tom Arceneaux said. A comprehensive domestic violence center is being established by the Caddo Parish sheriff, which the mayor’s office is working to support, Arceneaux later told Reuters. SHOOTER’S MOTIVE UNCLEAR At a news conference, Louisiana state Sena...