A father shot and killed eight children—seven of them his own and one their cousin—in a rampage across two Shreveport, Louisiana, homes on Sunday morning, April 19, 2026, that ended with his death after a police chase, marking the deadliest mass shooting in the United States in more than two years.

Shamar Elkins, 31, killed the children—ranging in age from three to 11—and critically wounded two women in what authorities described as an entirely domestic incident that began before sunrise and left a community reeling.

The victims were identified by the Caddo Parish Coroner’s Office 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. Seven children were found dead inside a home on West 79th Street near Linwood, with one child found dead on the roof after apparently trying to escape.

A 12-year-old girl managed to jump from the roof and flee with broken bones. She is expected to recover. Some children tried to escape through the back door, according to state Representative Tammy Phelps.

The attack unfolded across two locations. Initially, the police said that Elkins first shot a woman at a home on Harrison Street before driving to the second residence on West 79th Street, where the children were killed. However, per an updated Monday police timeline, the first 911 call was from West 79th Street. The Harrison Street shooting was via a subsequent call.

Elkins’ wife, Shaneiqua Pugh, who is the mother of some of the children, was shot in the face and underwent surgery. She is expected to survive. A second woman, believed to be Elkins’ ex-wife or girlfriend, and the mother of some of the other victims, remains in very serious condition.

Crystal Brown, a cousin of one of the wounded women, said Elkins and his wife were separating and had been arguing about the split. The couple was scheduled to appear in court on Monday. Brown said Elkins shared four children with his wife and three with another woman who lived nearby.

All the children had been together at one house when the shooting occurred. Brown described them as “happy kids, very friendly, very sweet.”

After the shootings, Elkins fled and carjacked a vehicle at gunpoint. Police pursued him into Bossier Parish, where gunfire was exchanged. Initial reports said that Elkins was shot and killed during the confrontation, though more recent sources say he died by suicide. The cause of death is still under investigation as of April 22.

Neighbors described chaos erupting in their normally quiet area. Jacob Castleman said he woke to his wife reporting sirens and a possible gunshot. “My thought process was like, man, there’s no way that that just happened behind our house,” he told local media.

His wife, Tiffany Castleman, heard a single shot, then another, then a barrage. “I knew that there was a full-blown shootout,” she said. The couple watched from their home as police lined the cul-de-sac with weapons drawn.

A neighbor’s security camera captured the suspect running from the scene and the sound of two shots. The covered body of a child was visible on the home’s roof.

Shreveport Police Cpl. Chris Bordelon said detectives were confident the violence was “entirely a domestic incident.” He noted that Elkins had pleaded guilty to a weapons charge in 2019 but that officials were not aware of other domestic violence issues.

Shreveport Mayor Tom Arceneaux called it “maybe the worst tragic situation we’ve ever had.” Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry said he and his wife Sharon “are heartbroken over this horrific situation.”

House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Shreveport native who represents the area in Congress, said his team was in contact with local police. “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,” he posted on social media.

According to the Gun Violence Archive, more than 119 mass shootings have occurred in the United States so far in 2026. The archive defines a mass shooting as an incident in which at least four people, not including the shooter, are injured or killed by gunfire. Last year saw 408 mass shootings nationwide.

The Shreveport attack is the deadliest mass shooting since eight people were killed in a Chicago suburb in January 2024. Louisiana State Police are investigating the incident and have asked anyone with photos, video, or information to contact detectives.