Louisiana mass shooting: Eight children killed in horror attack named by authorities
The Caddo Parish Coroner's Office has released the identities of eight children — seven siblings and a cousin — who were shot and killed in Shreveport, Louisiana. The victims, aged 3 to 11, included three boys and five girls.
The eight children shot dead in Louisiana have now been formally named.
Shortly after 6am Central Time, Shamar Elkins, a 31 year old army veteran, allegedly carried out the horrific attacks across three properties in Shreveport, according to authorities, reports the Mirror..
Shreveport Police Department Corporal Chris Bordelon confirmed that the extensive crime scene spanned three locations in the Cedar Grove area. Bordelon told reporters that Elkins committed a carjacking after fleeing the scene, with patrol officers giving chase before he was fatally shot by police.
The Caddo Parish Coroner's Office released the identities of the seven child siblings and a cousin who were shot and killed on Sunday. It also confirmed that the victims ranged in age from 3 to 11.
The children, identified by their mothers, comprised three boys and five girls, the office stated in a release late Sunday.
They were named 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.
The office confirmed that autopsies have been ordered for all victims.
In a further shocking revelation, Bordelon confirmed that seven children were killed inside the second property, while one was discovered dead on the roof, apparently having attempted to escape.
It remains unclear at this stage whether the child found on the roof was one of Elkins' own children. State Rep. Tammy Phelps revealed that some children attempted to flee 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.
Officials confirmed that the two injured women were in a critical condition.
Louisiana governor Jeff Landry and US House Speaker Mike Johnson, who is from Shreveport, both issued separate statements expressing their devastation and commending law enforcement for their swift response.
"We're holding the victims, their families and loved ones, and our Shreveport community close in our thoughts and prayers during this incredibly difficult time," Mr Johnson said in a statement.
Investigators have yet to reveal what may have triggered the violence. Bordelon stated that there remained much to investigate, but that detectives were confident the shooting was "entirely a domestic incident."
It was the deadliest mass shooting in the US since eight people were killed in a Chicago suburb in January 2024, according to a database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University.