Eight children killed in a domestic violence mass shooting

SHREVEPORT, La. — Authorities have identified the eight children killed in a domestic violence mass shooting early Sunday morning in Shreveport’s Cedar Grove neighborhood.

According to the Caddo Parish Coroner’s Office, the victims ranged in age from 3 to 11 and included seven siblings and one cousin.

The children were identified as

Jayla Elkins, 3;

Shayla Elkins, 5;

Kayla Pugh, 6;

Layla Pugh, 7;

Markaydon Pugh, 10;

Sariahh Snow, 11;

Khedarrion Snow, 6;

Braylon Snow, 5.

Police say 31-year-old Shamar Elkins is responsible for the shooting. Investigators believe he shot a woman at a home on Harrison Street before going to a second home on West 79th Street, where he shot another woman and the children. Seven of the eight children were reportedly his.

A total of 10 people were shot. The two adult women survived, though one remains in critical condition. A third woman was able to escape.

The incident spanned multiple locations, including two homes, a reported carjacking, and a police pursuit that ended in Bossier City, where Elkins was killed. Authorities say the motive remains under investigation.

The deaths mark Shreveport’s eighth through 15th homicides of the year.