Louisiana shooting: Gunman kills his own children, was dealing with mental health issues

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By: Express Global Desk3 min readApr 20, 2026 11:03 AM IST A man lights a candle during a prayer vigil for the victims of a mass shooting earlier in the day, Sunday, April 19, 2026, in Shreveport, La. (AP Photo) Make us preferred source on Google Whatsapp twitter Facebook Reddit PRINT Eight children, ranging from one to 14, were killed after a gunman opened fire at multiple locations in Shreveport, La, before being shot dead during a police chase. The 31-year-old attacker, identified as Shamar Elkins, was reportedly dealing with mental health issues and had recently expressed suicidal thoughts, his family members said in interviews, according to The New York Times. The victims of the shooting included seven of the gunman’s children, with police detailing the attack as execution-style. Elkins also shot two other people, including his wife, who was hospitalised with life-threatening injuries. Following this, Elkins carjacked a vehicle and tried to flee, when police pursued him into another neighbourhood in Bossier Parish and fired at him. He was later pronounced dead. “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.” Elkins’ relatives said that he had mental health problems and was stressed about his relationship with his wife, Shaneiqua Pugh. His mother, Mahelia Elkins, and stepfather, Marcus Jackson, in an interview, said that when Elkins called them on Easter Sunday, he sounded distressed and told them that his wife wanted a divorce. He also said that he was drowning in “dark thoughts.” “I told him, ‘You can beat stuff, man. I don’t care what you’re going through, you can beat it,” Mr Jackson said, according to the NYT. “Then I remember him telling me: ‘Some people don’t come back from their demons.’” Police said there were multiple crime scenes, including two homes on the same block on West 79th Street and a third residence in the neighbourhood on Harrison Street. 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. The incident is the deadliest mass shooting in the US since January 2024, when eight victims were killed in Joliet, Illinois, according to the Gun Violence Archive (GVA), a nonprofit that tracks US gun violence. The Express Global Desk at The Indian Express delivers authoritative, verified, and context-driven coverage of key international developments shaping global politics, policy, and migration trends. 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