Man charged for having gun used by Louisiana shooter says it was stolen

U.S. Man charged for previously having gun used to kill 8 children in Louisiana says it was stolen from his truck Updated on: April 22, 2026 / 8:19 AM EDT / CBS/AP Add CBS News on Google A man who previously had the gun used to kill eight children in a Shreveport, Louisiana mass shooting says Shamar Elkins, the suspect identified by police, stole it from his truck weeks before the tragedy took place, authorities said Tuesday. Shreveport resident Charles Ford, 56, admitted to believing that Elkins took possession of the assault-style rifle after initially lying to investigators, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Louisiana. Ford told investigators he suspected Elkins, who was the father of seven of the children killed, because he was one of the few people to ride with him, according to a criminal complaint filed in Louisiana federal court. Ford allegedly said it was around March 9 when he noticed the gun was missing.Ford said he confronted Elkins about the missing weapon. But when Elikns became "offensive," Ford "let it go," according to a court affidavit filed Tuesday.The affidavit is in support of federal charges against Ford. He faces charges for being a felon in possession of a firearm and making false statements to federal agents, with both allegedly relating to the gun that Elkins used to carry out the shooting, according to the attorney's office.The office said that authorities interviewed the person who originally purchased the gun, pictured below, and that person said she gave it to Ford. Shreveport police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms have initiated a trace on the firearm to track its history. U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Louisiana Ford originally denied having the gun when first approached by investigators after the shooting Sunday, according court records."Elkins' death means that our community will never see him face justice," U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller said in a...