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Authorities Issue Major Update After Dad Killed Eight Kids As More Devastating Details Emerge
Police in Louisiana have issued a major update after a dad shot and killed eight children, and seriously injuring two women.
Shamar Elkins caused utter devastation when he opened fire in the early hours of Sunday, April 19, following an argument with his wife, Shaneiqua Pugh.
The 31-year-old armed forces veteran launched his ‘execution style’ attack first by shooting Pugh in the face, though she has survived her injuries.
After going upstairs and shooting some of the children in their sleep, he then traveled to two more addresses, where he gunned down more children, including seven of his own.
He also shot a second woman, Christina Snow, also believed to be mother to some of his children, who has survived and remains in a ‘good’ condition in hospital.
A third woman and a child who jumped to safety after escaping via the roof were taken to hospital with injuries but remain in a good condition.
Elkins later died after being tracked down by cops following a carjacking, which led to the gunman being chased to nearby Bossier City, where he was shot by officers.
Family say there there were ‘no signs’ prior to attack
Despite having opened up about the poor mental health he was experiencing and expressing desires to take his own life, a family member of Elkins has said there were ‘no previous signs’ suggesting he was capable of such a horrific and violent attack.
Relative Crystal Brown-Page said the veteran, who previously served in the Louisiana Army National Guard from 2013 to 2020, recently attended the local Veterans Affairs hospital for a mental health evaluation, staying there for a week and a half before being released, The Washington Post reports.
Eklins was said to be struggling to cope after Pugh told him she wanted to end the marriage, with the pair due to appear in court the day after the violent killing spree took place.
Brown-Page said: “I think that triggered something in him,” adding that he had not been violent in the past. “There were no previous signs.”
He did, however, admit to have been experiencing ‘dark thoughts,’ telling his mom Mahelia Elkins and stepdad Marcus Jackson he was feeling suicidal.
Jackson told the New York Times: “I told him, ‘you can beat stuff, man. I don’t care what you’re going through, you can beat it.’ Then I remember him telling me, ‘some people don’t come back from their demons.’”
At the time, the pair were unaware of the issues between their son and his wife.
Elkins’ has previous gun offences
During his stint in the National Guard, Elkins worked as both a signal support system specialist and a fire support specialist.
But despite using firearms in a professional capacity, in 2019 he was arrested on charges of illegal use of weapons and carrying a firearm on school property after firing five rounds at a vehicle near a school after another driver pulled a gun on him.
He received 18 months on probation after pleading guilty to the weapons charge, while the firearm charge was dropped.
However, police have confirmed these charges will have prohibited the gunman from legally owning any fire arms, despite him being in possession of a small calibre handgun and a rifle-style pistol when he was apprehended.
Police issue major update in case
Federal authorities have now announced a Louisiana man has been arrested for supplying the gun used to kill the eight children and wound the two women.
Charles Ford was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and making a false statement to federal agents on April 21, according to the US Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana.
The New York Post reports that law enforcement interviewed the original purchaser of the weapon, who then identified Ford as being the person she had given the rifle to in January 2025 when she was hospitalized.
Ford, who is prohibited from possessing firearms due to being a convicted felon, then lied to cops, claiming he never had the gun. He was convicted of robbery in 2000 and plead guilty to domestic abuse battery in 2011.
The felon later confessed to possessing the pistol, telling authorities he noticed it was missing on Mach 9 and suspected Elkins had stolen it from his truck, where it had been hidden under the seat.
Ford says he confronted Elkins about the gun going missing, but when the killer became ‘offensive’ he decided to let it go.
Authorities have now released a photo of the weapon, which had been placed in a cardboard box and still appeared to be covered in blood.
If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, available 24/7, or visit thehotline.org.
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