US police have identified the killer who killed eight children yesterday morning, Sunday 19 April, in Shreveport, Louisiana, in the United States. This is Shamar Elkins, a 31-year-old US Army veteran, already arrested in 2019 for illegal possession of firearms. According to what was reconstructed by investigators, the man shot the eight children, all aged between 3 and 11: seven of them were his children, while the eighth was his nephew.
The Shreveport Massacre
Elkins, who then attempted to escape in a stolen car, was stopped by the police and was killed at the end of a chase. According to CNN, the 31-year-old also opened fire on three homes in Shreveport before being neutralized. The story shocked the entire community: the little victims were all brothers and sisters, except for a little cousin, three boys and five girls between 3 and 11 years old. “Seven were his children – confirmed police spokesman Christopher Bordelon -, while the eighth was a cousin”.
Two women were also injured
Also according to CNN, another minor aged 13 managed to escape during the massacre, finding refuge in a nearby house. The boy, throwing himself from the roof to escape, suffered some fractures, but his life was not in danger. Two women were also injured in the shooting, including the 31-year-old’s wife, mother of the victims, and the mother of the eighth child. Both suffered very serious injuries and were rushed to hospital.
The army and arrest in 2019
In the meantime, the police have started investigating the case, trying to understand what may have pushed Elkins to carry out the massacre. As also confirmed by the US Army, the 31-year-old had served in the Louisiana Army National Guard for seven years, until August 2020, as a support specialist. In 2019 he was arrested for illegal possession of firearms, after a man in a car pointed a gun at him.
The marital crisis
The motive could be linked to the end of his marriage. The man was in fact struggling with the separation from his wife and the couple was due to appear in court today. The news was revealed to the Associated Press by Crystal Brown, cousin of one of the two injured women: “They were arguing before the shooting.” While the community is still in shock, a candlelight vigil was organized in Shreveport in memory of the little victims, taken from their lives by a father, who posted photos on social media with his children and then killed them all.