Shreveport police responded to multiple 911 calls from the Cedar Grove neighborhood shortly after 5:30 a.m. on Easter Sunday, April 19, 2026, and arrived to find a scene that officials later described as one of the most disturbing domestic incidents in the city’s recent history.

According to statements given to investigators and shared with local media, several neighbors reported hearing rapid gunfire mixed with a child’s high-pitched screams coming from the roof of a single-story home on West 79th Street. One resident, who asked not to be named for privacy reasons but spoke to Shreveport police and reporters on condition of anonymity, said she looked out her window after the first shots and saw a small figure running along the rooftop in the dim pre-dawn light. “The child was crying hysterically and kept shouting the same thing over and over: ‘I don’t want a new mom! I don’t want a new mommy!’” the neighbor recounted. “It sounded like a young girl, maybe 10 or 11. She was trying to get away, scrambling across the shingles, but the shots kept coming. Then there was one final loud bang and everything went quiet on the roof.”

That child, later identified by authorities as one of the victims in the rampage, did not survive. Police confirmed that at least one youngster attempted to flee through a window and onto the roof during the shooting before being struck. The neighbor’s account added a layer of raw detail to the official timeline: the child’s repeated cries about not wanting a new mother suggested the youngster may have been aware of the ongoing marital conflict between the parents.

The shootings left eight children dead — seven of them the biological children of 31-year-old Shamar Elkins — and two adult women critically wounded. Elkins himself died later that morning during a confrontation with law enforcement after a high-speed chase into neighboring Bossier Parish. Authorities have described the incident as a domestic disturbance that escalated rapidly, with Elkins as the sole suspect.

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 were Elkins’ own children from his relationships with estranged wife Shaneiqua Pugh and girlfriend Christina Snow. The eighth, Markaydon Pugh, was a cousin caught in the violence. Most of the children were shot in the head while still in their beds or sleeping areas, according to preliminary autopsy information released by the Caddo Parish Coroner’s Office.

Shaneiqua Pugh, 29, and Christina Snow, also in her late 20s, were both shot multiple times and transported to a local hospital in critical condition. Pugh suffered wounds to the face and abdomen; Snow was hit in the head. Hospital officials said both women remained in intensive care as of Tuesday afternoon, with Pugh listed in stable but serious condition.

The sequence of events began in the early morning hours inside the Pugh family home and spread to at least two other nearby residences connected to the extended family. Police said the first shots were reported around 5:30 a.m. during what they classified as a domestic argument. Neighbors told investigators they heard raised voices followed by the first pops of gunfire. Within minutes, the child’s screams on the roof drew additional attention from surrounding homes.

One neighbor, a 52-year-old man who lives directly across the street, said he stepped outside after hearing what sounded like fireworks and saw figures moving on the roofline. “I heard a little voice yelling, ‘No new mom! Please, no new mom!’ over and over, crying so hard it was breaking up the words,” he told police in a statement obtained by local outlets. “Then there were more shots. The child tried to run toward the back of the roof but went down after the last one. It was over in seconds.” Authorities have not confirmed the exact identity of the child on the roof but said the description matches one of the older victims who sustained injuries consistent with an attempted escape.

Shamar Elkins, a Louisiana Army National Guard veteran who served from 2013 to 2020 as a signal support system specialist, had no overseas deployments. After leaving the Guard at the rank of private, he worked for UPS in the Shreveport area. Court records show a 2016 conviction for driving while intoxicated and a 2019 arrest in which he fired five rounds from a 9mm handgun at a vehicle near a local high school, with children present outside the campus. He pleaded guilty to illegal use of a weapon and received 18 months’ probation.

Elkins and Shaneiqua Pugh had been married since 2024 after years of dating and shared four children. Elkins also had three children with Christina Snow, who lived in the same neighborhood. According to family members who spoke with investigators, the marriage had been strained for months, with Shaneiqua filing for divorce in the weeks leading up to Easter. A court hearing on the separation, custody, and related matters had been scheduled for Monday, April 20 — the day after the shootings.

The possible motive centered on the pending divorce, investigators said. On Easter Sunday itself, hours before the violence, Elkins placed a phone call to his mother, Mahelia Elkins, and stepfather, Marcus Jackson. With the sound of children playing in the background, he told them Shaneiqua had filed for divorce and that he was struggling with “dark thoughts.” When Jackson encouraged him to push through the difficulty, Elkins responded, “Some people don’t come back from their demons,” according to Jackson’s account shared with authorities and reported by multiple news organizations.

Elkins had also posted publicly on social media in the weeks and months before the incident. On March 8, he shared a question directed at other fathers: “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?” His reply was direct: “Hell yehhhhhhhh I would.” On April 9, he posted a prayer-like message: “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 had previously checked himself into the Veterans Affairs hospital for a mental health evaluation and stayed for more than a week before returning home.

After the shootings, Elkins fled the scene. He carjacked a red Kia Sportage at gunpoint and led police on a chase that crossed into Bossier Parish. Surveillance footage and doorbell camera video captured portions of the pursuit. Around 6:23 a.m., his vehicle was seen exiting the interstate near the Swan Lake area. Officers engaged him in the 400 block of Brompton Lane shortly after 7 a.m. Elkins was pronounced dead at the scene. Louisiana State Police are investigating whether he was killed by officers’ gunfire or died by suicide; the exact cause remains under review as of Tuesday.

Shreveport Police Chief and department spokespeople emphasized in briefings that Elkins acted alone. “This was a domestic incident that escalated into tragedy,” one official stated. “He, and he alone, is responsible for the deaths of the eight children.” The crime scenes were described as extensive, covering multiple connected homes in a residential block. Forensic teams worked through the day Sunday and into Monday to process evidence.

The children’s deaths have prompted an outpouring of grief in the Cedar Grove community. Local churches held prayer vigils on Monday evening. One neighbor who declined to give her name but attended a gathering near the scene said the block had always seemed quiet. “We heard the shots, we heard the screaming on the roof, and then it was just silence,” she said. “You don’t expect something like this on Easter morning.”

Family members of the victims have not made public statements beyond confirming the identities of the children. Troy Brown, father of Markaydon Pugh, posted a message on social media expressing his grief: “My boy may God rest your soul son. Daddy gonna miss u so much.” Extended relatives described the children as typical kids who attended church and played in the neighborhood.

Shaneiqua Pugh remained hospitalized Tuesday. Sources close to the family said she had been the one to call 911 during the shooting, telling dispatchers that Elkins had shot multiple people inside the house. Her condition was listed as critical but stable. Christina Snow’s injuries were also described as life-threatening.

The case has drawn attention from domestic violence and mental health advocates, though officials have not released any formal findings on prior domestic incidents involving Elkins and Pugh. No active protection orders were in place at the time of the shootings, according to court records reviewed by reporters.

Louisiana State Police and the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office continue to investigate the full timeline. Autopsies were completed Monday, confirming the cause of death for all eight children as gunshot wounds to the head or upper body. The weapons used were recovered at the scenes and in Elkins’ possession at the time of the confrontation with police.

In the broader context of similar cases nationwide, authorities noted that incidents involving estranged partners and custody disputes sometimes escalate when one party perceives a complete loss of control. Elkins’ military background and previous weapons-related arrest have been noted in the investigation but have not been cited as direct factors by officials.

Community leaders in Shreveport have called for increased support for families facing separation and for better access to mental health services. Counseling resources were made available Monday at local schools and churches for residents affected by the violence.

As of Tuesday afternoon, the eight children had not yet been released for funeral arrangements. The neighborhood remained quiet, with yellow crime scene tape still cordoning off multiple homes. Neighbors who spoke with reporters described the area as normally peaceful, with children often playing outside on weekends.

The rooftop incident described by multiple witnesses has become a focal point in early media coverage. Investigators said the child’s attempt to flee through a window and across the roof represented one of the few moments of active resistance during the rapid sequence of shootings. The repeated cries of “I don’t want a new mom” have been noted in police reports as possible evidence that the older children were aware of the marital discord and impending divorce proceedings.

Shamar Elkins’ body was taken to the coroner’s office for examination. No funeral arrangements for him have been announced. His mother and stepfather have not issued public comments beyond confirming the content of the Easter phone call.

The case remains under active investigation by multiple agencies. Officials have asked anyone with additional video or information from the area to contact the Shreveport Police Department tip line.

For the families involved, the coming days will involve funerals and continued medical care for the two surviving mothers. For the Cedar Grove neighborhood, the memory of a child’s voice on the rooftop may linger long after the crime scene tape is removed.