LA - 8 Children Killed in Mass Shooting in Shreveport. April 19,2026

[justtrish]

The article literally labels him a 'former army national guardsman' in the first sentence. The word army is right there. I didn't invent it. The word army is littered throughout the article, including a direct quote from an Army official about his service.

MOO

The National guard is part of the Army, but it is a bit different than someone serving in the Army. Maybe you know this, so I mean no offense, but in case you do not know, I'll share. When someone says Army most think active-duty service in the Army where the person's full-time job every day is being in the Army. The Army national guard is different in that someone usually has a different job they do and then one weekend a month they go away to train for the 2-3 days and then 2 weeks in the summer they go to annual training. They can be activated and sent overseas or even stateside, but typically someone in the National Guard is just serving a weekend a month and 2 weeks in the summer.

 

[Ladyotm]

The Associated Press reported that Elkins and his wife were in the middle of a separation and had been arguing about it before the shooting, according to Crystal Brown, a cousin of one of the wounded women. Brown told the AP that Elkins shared four children with his wife and three with another woman who lived close by, and Brown added that Elkins and his wife were due in court Monday…

Louisiana Shooting Kills 8 Children: What to Know

Seven of the victims are believed to be children of the gunman, who died after a police pursuit.

time.com

Troy Brown said he and his wife and their two children lived in a house on 79th Street with Elkins, his wife and their four children...
One of Troy Brown’s children, a 10-year-old boy was killed as well.
“I wasn’t aware he had a gun,” Brown said of Elkins. “If I would’ve known a gun was inside the home, I would have got rid of it.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2026/04/19/louisiana-shooting/

This is horrible. I wonder if Troy Brown is the brother -in-law. I also wonder how long the two families had been living together.

I hope these families can lean on each other as well as receive mental health support.

 

[maamager]

The National guard is part of the Army, but it is a bit different than someone serving in the Army. Maybe you know this, so I mean no offense, but in case you do not know, I'll share. When someone says Army most think active-duty service in the Army where the person's full-time job every day is being in the Army. The Army national guard is different in that someone usually has a different job they do and then one weekend a month they go away to train for the 2-3 days and then 2 weeks in the summer they go to annual training. They can be activated and sent overseas or even stateside, but typically someone in the National Guard is just serving a weekend a month and 2 weeks in the summer.

i had two friends in the guard who served overseas for a year in kuwait. i actually didn’t know that was a thing for NG myself until it happened. just my two cents

 

[tlcya]

Authorities identified the shooter as 31-year-old Shamar Elkins. The U.S. Army told CBS News that Elkins pleaded guilty to a weapons charge in 2019 and served in the Louisiana National Guard from 2013 to 2020 as a signal support system specialist and fire support specialist.

The Caddo Parish Coroner’s Office said the victims were five girls and three boys, ranging in age from 3 to 11: 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 siblings, and one was Elkins’ nephew.
[snip]
In March 2019, KTBS reported that Elkins was arrested on charges of illegal use of a weapon and carrying a firearm on school property. A police report said he fired five rounds at a car about 300 feet from a Shreveport high school as it sped away.

He later pleaded guilty to the illegal weapons charge and was placed on 18 months’ probation; the firearm charge was dismissed.
Who is Shamar Elkins? Louisiana father accused of killing 8 children

 

[tlcya]

His wife, who is the mother of some of the children, was reportedly shot in the face, has undergone surgery and is expected to survive.

The condition of the other woman, who may also be the mother of some of the children killed, is described as “very serious.”
‘I had just full terror’: Couple describes chaos after father accused of killing 7 of his children was killed behind their home

 

[tlcya]

Just weeks ago, on Easter Sunday, Elkins called his mother, Mahelia Elkins, and his stepfather, Marcus Jackson, and chillingly told them he was drowning in “dark thoughts,” wanted to end his life, and that his wife, Shaneiqua Pugh, wanted a divorce, the New York Times reported.

“I told him, ‘You can beat stuff, man. I don’t care what you’re going through, you can beat it,’” Jackson told the publication. “Then I remember him telling me: ‘Some people don’t come back from their demons.’”
Louisiana shooter Shamar Elkins made chilling remarks about ‘demons’ weeks before killing his 7 kids and their cousin

oh wow, He and his future ex wife were due in court today. Triggered him to annihilate his entire family.

what a selfish cruel heartless act.

 

[iamshadow21]

The National guard is part of the Army, but it is a bit different than someone serving in the Army. Maybe you know this, so I mean no offense, but in case you do not know, I'll share. When someone says Army most think active-duty service in the Army where the person's full-time job every day is being in the Army. The Army national guard is different in that someone usually has a different job they do and then one weekend a month they go away to train for the 2-3 days and then 2 weeks in the summer they go to annual training. They can be activated and sent overseas or even stateside, but typically someone in the National Guard is just serving a weekend a month and 2 weeks in the summer.

So, even less of a reason to point fingers at the military as having responsibility for this.

I mean, yes, veterans get used up and spat out and zero support, but this guy is not some traumatised Iraq vet who desperately tried to get services. He's a mean and nasty DV injustice collector who thought his best course of action was to shoot a whole bunch of his kids in the face, including infants and toddlers and a kid that wasn't even his own kid.

No mitigation for that garbage.

MOO

 

[tlcya]

MOO Elkins has had impulse control and anger issues since at least 2019.

 

[tlcya]

City officials live update on case