A Louisiana community is grappling with an unthinkable tragedy after a man fatally shot eight children inside a home in Shreveport, following a disturbing warning to relatives just hours earlier.
According to the New York Post, authorities say the violence unfolded Sunday morning, one day before the suspect was expected in court for divorce proceedings with his estranged wife, Shaneiqua Pugh.
The man, Army vet Shamar Elkins, called family members on Easter Sunday and spoke about mounting personal struggles, according to accounts shared with investigators.
During the call, he revealed his wife had filed for divorce and admitted he was overwhelmed by “dark thoughts,” even suggesting he wanted to take his own life.
His stepfather, Marcus Jackson, said he tried to reassure him, urging him to stay strong and push through the difficulties.
The response was chilling.
“Some people don’t come back from their demons,” Jackson recalled him saying.
By the next morning, the situation had escalated into deadly violence.
Investigators say the man shot eight children inside the home — seven of them his own and one a cousin.
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.
Officials said Pugh was also shot multiple times in the head and stomach and remains hospitalized with life-threatening injuries. Another woman, Christina Snow, believed by relatives to be his girlfriend, was shot in the head and is in critical condition.
Records show the suspect had previous legal troubles, including convictions for driving while intoxicated in 2016 and illegal use of a weapon in 2019.
In that earlier case, he reportedly fired multiple shots during a confrontation, with at least one bullet later found near a school.
In the weeks leading up to the attack, he had also posted messages on social media reflecting emotional distress and marital strain.
“Dear God, Today I ask You to help me guard my mind and my emotions. When negativity arises, remind me to say, ‘It does not belong to me,’ in the name of Jesus,” he wrote April 9.
A month earlier, he posted: “Dads, if you could go back in time and have kids with a different woman but still have the same kids, would you do it?”
Authorities continue to investigate the events surrounding the shooting.
