Family Of Shreveport Mass Shooting Suspect Says Signs Were Present Before Incident

More details are continuing to emerge following the devastating mass shooting in Shreveport on April 19 that left eight children dead. As previously reported, authorities have identified the gunman as 31-year-old Shamar Elkins, and according to family members, Elkins had been struggling with his mental health in the months leading up to the tragedy, a situation they say worsened during his divorce from his wife, 34-year-old Shaneiqua Pugh. Seven of the victims were Elkins’ own children, while the eighth was a cousin.

Shamar Elkins was struggling with mental health amid his divorce from wife, family says.

Troy Brown, Elkins’ brother-in-law, said the separation had taken a heavy toll on him, noting that Pugh had filed for divorce over infidelity. 

“It seemed like he was having a hard time,” Brown told CNN in an interview posted April 21. Brown himself lost his 10-year-old son in the massacre. His 12-year-old daughter survived after jumping from the roof, escaping with only minor injuries, while his wife, Pugh’s sister, suffered fractures from the fall. Though grateful his wife and daughter survived, Brown described the overwhelming grief of losing his son. 

“I’m never gonna get to throw the football with him again,” Brown said in tears. 

He added, “These were eight babies, precious babies, babies that I took care of, helped take care of, helped raise daily, on a daily basis. I’ve lost eight parts of me, because I loved each and every of them like they were my own and I took care of them like they were my own.”

He had previously expressed suicidal thoughts before the Shreveport mass shooting.

Family members said Elkins had previously expressed suicidal thoughts. The woman who raised him told The New York Times he had attempted to take his own life earlier this year. Some relatives also pointed to his recent social media activity as a possible sign that something was wrong. On Easter, Elkins shared a photo celebrating the holiday with his seven children, writing:

“Happy Easter had a wonderful time at church for the first time with all my kids what a blessed day,” Elkins said on Facebook, according to a screenshot obtained by News 4 San Antonio.

Just four days later, he reposted a prayer that read:

“Dear God, Today I ask You to help me guard my mind and my emotions.” The message also asked for strength to “reject” depression, anger, anxiety and panic, CNN noted. 

Elkins, who served in the Louisiana Army National Guard as both a signal support systems specialist and fire support specialist, had recently sought treatment for mental health issues at a local VA hospital, according to family members. Brown recalled that after returning home, Elkins appeared to be in better spirits. 

He came home “happy,” Brown told CNN. “He loved his kids. We would take them to the park, out to eat… he loved his kids. He loved his wife. I just don’t know what happened.” 

Still, Brown said things seemed to be unraveling and that he would constantly talk to Elkins to encourage him to seek help. He even encouraged Elkins to return to the hospital, but Elkins insisted he was fine.

Shamar Elkins allegedly threatened to kill his wife before, report claims.

The couple had been scheduled to finalize their divorce in court the day after the shooting, but trouble had been brewing well before. Elkins had previously told Pugh that he would kill her, their children, and himself if she left, The New York Times claimed in their report. Pugh had considered leaving Elkins before they were married.

During a press conference on April 20, City Council member Tabatha Taylor confirmed that Brown’s wife and the second woman injured during the attack survived, though one required surgery. Fighting back tears, she urged the community to take domestic violence seriously.

“Domestic violence is nobody’s joke. It is real and these are the residual effects of what happens if we’re not paying attention,” she urged the audience, holding back tears. “It’s a concerted collaborative effort for us all to make and you have to be intentional about that because we are faced with a devastating tragedy in this city,” she added. “I am asking you to keep them lifted and to pray for them.”

As the investigation continues, authorities are also examining how Elkins obtained the weapon used in the attack. According to NBC News, Shreveport Police Chief Wayne Smith said federal agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are looking into the origin of the assault-style pistol. Elkins had previously been arrested in 2019 and convicted of illegal use of a firearm, and police say that conviction likely prohibited him from legally owning a gun.

Here’s an updated timeline on the Shreveport mass shooting.

Officers from the Shreveport Police Department offered updated details about the Shreveport mass shooting timeline at Monday’s press conference. Authorities said at around 5:55 a.m. on Sunday, police received an emergency call reporting a disturbance at a home on the 300 block of West 79th Street, where a caller said a man had been shot and the suspect was still inside. Within minutes, additional calls revealed the suspect, identified as Shamar Elkins, was a relative and had allegedly shot multiple people in the home, where about nine individuals lived. The caller and her children initially hid on the roof before escaping to the backyard. Officers arrived shortly after 6:00 a.m., made contact with the caller, and requested fire personnel to stage nearby.

At 6:07 a.m., a second shooting was reported on the 500 block of Harrison Street, where a victim said her boyfriend, also identified as Elkins, had shot her, taken her three children, and fled. Police quickly linked both incidents. Elkins was then reported to have carjacked a red Kia Sportage and was later spotted by officers on Interstate 49, prompting a pursuit. Authorities feared the children were inside the vehicle, but by 6:40 a.m., the car was found empty. Officers later located the injured victims from the Harrison street shooting, and at approximately 6:29 a.m., engaged in a shootout with Shamar Elkins on Brompton Lane in Bossier City, Louisiana, where he was later pronounced dead at the scene at around 7:03 a.m, almost fifteen minutes after multiple victims were discovered deceased at the West 79th Street residence, authorities said. 

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