Profile: Shamar Elkins, the perpetrator of the Louisiana shooting and Army veteran, who spoke of 'demons' weeks before killing his seven children and a cousin of theirs
The tragedy occurred after an argument with his wife around 6 a.m. Sunday morning. The man had said days earlier that he wanted to take his own life. He said that his wife wanted a divorce and that he was overwhelmed by "dark thoughts."
The crime scene where the eight children were killed.
A man killed eight children, five girls and three boys between the ages of 3 and 11, and critically wounded two women in a brutal shooting early Sunday morning in Shreveport, Louisiana. According to a report, the man was identified as Shamar Elkins, an Army veteran.
In addition, the report, obtained by The New York Times, detailed that the man confessed that he was drowning in "dark thoughts"and told his stepfather that some people "don’t come back from their demons” just weeks before the heinous murders.
The tragedy occurred after an argument with his wife around 6 a.m. Sunday. Elkins had said days earlier that he wanted to take his own life. He recounted that his wife wanted a divorce and that he was overwhelmed by "dark thoughts."
According to the Times, the father, the perpetrator, worked at UPS. In addition, records indicate that Elkins had at least two prior convictions, including one for DUI in 2016 and another for illegal use of weapons in 2019.
"In March 2019, a police report detailed that the National Guard vet had pulled a 9 millimeter handgun from his waistband and shot at a vehicle five times after a driver pulled a handgun on him, with one of the bullets being discovered near a school where children were playing," detailed NYT.
Elkins' military service
The victims were identified 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 of the eight minors were Elkins' children and the eighth, her cousin. All were found lifeless inside their Shreveport home.
Multi-scene attack
There, officers fired on the attacker, causing his death. Louisiana State Police have opened an investigation to clarify the circumstances of the officers' use of force.
Police Chief Wayne Smith acknowledged the magnitude of the horror: "I just cannot begin to imagine how such an event can occur," he said, adding that investigators "are going to be working diligently, however long it takes to get some answers to what has taken place."
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