Cleo Fields Calls for Healing and Action After Shreveport Shooting Kills 8 Children
Officials have described the case as a domestic-related incident. A motive has not been confirmed, though family members told investigators the suspect and his wife were in the process of separating and were due in court.
SHREVEPORT, La. — Louisiana leaders are calling for healing, accountability, and stronger intervention systems after a domestic violence shooting in Shreveport left eight children dead and two women wounded, in a tragedy that has shaken the state.
U.S. Rep. Cleo Fields led public reaction to the killings, describing the scale of the violence as overwhelming and urging the community to come together in support of the victims’ families.
“A crime scene spanning four locations, eight children gone ranging in age from just one to fourteen years old — there are no words,” Fields said. He added that his prayers are with the injured survivors and all families impacted by the shooting.
Authorities said the suspect, 31-year-old Shamar Elkins, fatally shot eight children — including seven of his own — before dying during a police pursuit that ended in neighboring Bossier Parish.
The violence began shortly after 6 a.m. Sunday in Shreveport’s Cedar Grove neighborhood, where officers responded to reports of gunfire at multiple homes. Police said Elkins first shot an adult woman before moving to a second residence, where seven children were found dead inside. Another child was later discovered dead on the roof.
A 13-year-old boy survived after jumping from the roof to escape. He was hospitalized with injuries that were not considered life-threatening.
The victims, ages 3 to 11, were identified as Jayla Elkins, Shayla Elkins, Kayla Pugh, Layla Pugh, Markaydon Pugh, Sariahh Snow, Khedarrion Snow, and Braylon Snow.
Two women were also shot, including Elkins’s wife, Shaneiqua Pugh. Officials said both were hospitalized, and one is expected to survive.
Following the shootings, authorities said Elkins hijacked a vehicle at gunpoint and fled the scene. Law enforcement later located the vehicle and pursued him into Bossier Parish, where the chase ended in a confrontation with officers. Elkins was pronounced dead at the scene.
Officials have described the case as a domestic-related incident. A motive has not been confirmed, though family members told investigators the suspect and his wife were in the process of separating and were due in court.
Fields and other leaders emphasized the need for both immediate and long-term responses, including expanded mental health resources and stronger protections for families in crisis.
State officials said counseling and crisis services are being made available to survivors, first responders, and community members affected by the tragedy.
As investigators continue working to determine what led to the killings, leaders across Louisiana say the focus now must turn to support, prevention, and ensuring such violence does not happen again.
