In a mass shooting in the American city of Shreveport, Louisiana, eight children were killed, including seven of the attacker’s own children and one who was not related to him, the police said.
The children were between one and 14 years old. Police said the suspect, identified as Shamar Elkins, opened fire in the family’s home early Sunday morning, killing the children and wounding two adult women, including the children’s mother, who are in critical condition. Before that, he shot a woman on the street, writes the BBC.
After the attack, Elkins fled in a stolen car, but police soon caught up and killed him in a pursuit in neighboring Bossier Parish. The police confirmed that he acted alone.
One child managed to escape and call the police, while the other jumped from the roof of the house and survived, but was hospitalized.
Shreveport Mayor Tom Arceneaux said it was the most tragic event in the city’s history. Police Chief Wayne Smith said he couldn’t imagine how something like this could happen and that the investigation is involving the Louisiana State Police and other agencies.
According to the Gun Violence Archive, this is the deadliest mass shooting in the US since January 2024, when eight people were killed in Joliet, Illinois.
Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry said he and his wife were devastated by the situation and thanked police and emergency responders.
(TYPE/Source: Fena/Photo: FB)
