The tragic identities of the eight young children killed by their father and uncle during a devastating violent episode in Louisiana have been released.
The Caddo Parish Coroner’s Office confirmed the children’s names at the request of their mother. All eight victims — five girls and three boys — were fatally shot by Shamar Elkins, 31, following a dispute with his wife early Sunday morning in Shreveport.
The children were Jayla Elkins, 3; Sheila Elkins, 5; Kayla Pugh, 6; Layla Pugh, 7; Markedon Pugh, 10; Thalia Snow, 11; Kedarion Snow, 6; and Braylon Snow. Their bodies were discovered inside their home in Shreveport.
According to local authorities, Elkins was the father of seven of the children and the uncle of the eighth. There is some ambiguity, though, about the exact relationship between all the victims.
Many of the children were shot in the head while they slept, as noted by Shreveport Police Department spokesman Christopher Bordelon. Tragically, one child was reportedly found dead on the roof while trying to escape.
In a violent outburst, Elkins, who was later killed by police during a carjacking attempt, also shot two women, both mothers of the children. One, his wife, was shot in the face inside their home. The second, believed to be his girlfriend, was murdered at another nearby location.
A surviving family member, Crystal Brown, shared that Elkins had four children with his wife and three with the other woman who was injured. The couple had been in the process of separating and had a court appearance scheduled for the following Monday. It seems they were arguing about their relationship when the horrific events unfolded.
Ms. Brown described the children as “happy kids, very friendly, very sweet.” Just hours before the tragedy, Elkins had shared a post about a brief outing with his eldest daughter, Thalia.
On Easter, he had posted a picture from their family church visit, marking it as a momentous occasion of attending Mass with all his children.
As of now, both surviving mothers are reported to be in critical condition.
