What to know about a Louisiana father fatally shooting 8 children, including his own

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Briefing Summary

AI-generated

NEWSAR · AI

In Shreveport, Louisiana, on April 20, 2026, Shamar Elkins, a 31-year-old father, fatally shot eight children, seven of whom were his own. The shootings occurred at two separate homes in a neighborhood south of downtown, beginning before sunrise. Elkins also shot and wounded his wife and another woman. Police responded to the initial reports around 5:55 a.m., and after a car theft and subsequent police pursuit, Elkins died about an hour later; it is unclear if his death was self-inflicted or caused by police gunfire. Authorities have not yet determined a motive, but family members indicated Elkins and his wife were separating. The incident is the deadliest mass shooting in the U.S. in over two years.

Confidence 0.90Sources 2Claims 8Entities 7

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Article analysis

Model · rule-based

Framing

Human Interest

Tone

Measured

AI-assessed

CalmNeutralAlarmist

Factuality

0.85 / 1.00

Factual

LowHigh

Sources cited

2

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Key claims

8 extracted

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A Louisiana father fatally shot eight children, including seven of his own.

factualAP

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1.00

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The attack on Sunday morning unfolded in two homes in a Shreveport neighborhood.

factual

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1.00

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The gunman, identified as 31-year-old Shamar Elkins, died after a police pursuit.

factualAP

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1.00

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Police received the first report around 5:55 a.m.

factualShreveport Police Chief Wayne Smith

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A Louisiana father fatally shot eight children, including seven of his own.

factual

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1.00

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Family members said Elkins and his wife were separating.

quoteFamily members

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It was not clear whether he was killed by officers or from a self-inflicted gunshot.

factualShreveport Police Chief Wayne Smith

Confidence

0.80

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Police have not provided a motive for the killings.

quote

Confidence

0.80

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Full report

2 min read · 322 words

A person leaves a gift at a makeshift memorial on the front lawn of the home where children were killed during a mass shooting the day before in Shreveport, La., Monday, April 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) 2026-04-20T22:12:37Z Shreveport, La. (AP) — A Louisiana father fatally shot eight children, including seven of his own, and shot and wounded his wife and another woman in the deadliest mass shooting in the U.S. in more than two years. The attack on Sunday morning unfolded in two homes in a Shreveport neighborhood. The gunman, identified as 31-year-old Shamar Elkins, died after a police pursuit that ended with officers firing on him, authorities said. Police have not provided a motive for the killings. Family members said Elkins and his wife were separating and community leaders called for a reckoning over domestic violence as the shooting reverberated across the city, including in the classrooms where the children attended school. Here’s what to know about the attack. Shootings began before sunrise The attack began before dawn in a neighborhood south of downtown Shreveport. Police received the first report around 5:55 a.m. from a caller stating they were on top of a house where someone had been shot, Shreveport Police Chief Wayne Smith said. Five minutes later, police were told that Elkins had shot everyone inside the 79th Street house. Troy Brown, Elkin’s brother-in-law, said his wife and his 12-year-old daughter had escaped through the home’s roof. Officers arrived within minutes but another call at 6:07 a.m. reported a second attack on nearby Harrison Street, where the caller said Elkins had shot her before fleeing, according to Smith. Police then received word the gunman had stolen a car, leading to a pursuit and eventually an exchange of gunfire. Elkins was pronounced dead about an hour after police received the first call. It was not clear whether he was killed by officers or from a self-inflicted gunshot, Smith said. (

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