Father Kills Eight Children in Louisiana Mass Shooting, Police Say

A man has shot dead seven of his own children and another child in a mass shooting in Shreveport, in what authorities have described as a domestic incident.

Police in the U.S. state of Louisiana said the suspect, identified as Shamar Elkins, opened fire early Sunday morning, killing eight children aged between one and 14 years old.

According to the Shreveport Police Department, the gunman shot a total of 10 people before fleeing the scene in a stolen vehicle. Two adult women, including the children’s mother, remain in critical condition.

Authorities said the suspect first shot a woman on the street before entering a nearby residence, where the children were killed. One of the victims managed to escape and alert emergency services, while another child reportedly jumped from a roof and was taken to hospital.

Police later pursued Elkins into a neighbouring area, where officers shot and killed him after he attempted to evade capture.

Officials have not confirmed a motive, but family members told U.S. media the suspect had been distressed following a separation from his wife and an impending court appearance related to their divorce.

Shreveport Mayor Tom Arceneaux described the incident as one of the most devastating in the city’s history. “This is a tragic situation – maybe the worst tragic situation we’ve ever had in Shreveport,” he said, adding that the entire community is mourning alongside the affected families.

The attack is the deadliest mass shooting in the United States since early 2024, according to the Gun Violence Archive, which defines a mass shooting as an incident in which four or more victims are shot, excluding the perpetrator.