A father in Shreveport, Louisiana, fatally shot eight children — seven of his own and one other — in a domestic rampage on Easter Sunday before being killed by police following a car chase. The gunman, identified as 31-year-old Shamar Elkins, carried out the attacks across two houses in the same neighbourhood in the early morning hours. Two women, including Elkins' wife, were critically wounded. Officials confirmed the children were aged between 3 and 11 years old.

According to police, Elkins first shot a woman at a separate address before returning to the family home, where he shot his wife and killed the children in what authorities described as execution-style killings. Seven children were found dead inside the house; an eighth was discovered on the rooftop, where the child had apparently fled in an attempt to escape. After the attack, Elkins fled in a stolen vehicle. A police pursuit ended when officers opened fire, and he died at the scene.

In the hours before the shooting, warning signs had emerged. On Easter Sunday, Elkins told his mother and stepfather by phone that his wife wanted a divorce and that he was having what he described as "dark thoughts," including suicidal ideation. He had also shared a prayer on social media asking for help with his mental health. Family members said he had been struggling with mental illness. His mother, who had faced drug addiction as a teenager and had not raised him herself — he was brought up by a family friend — said she had encouraged him to persevere. The family friend who raised him said she had seen him the evening before the attack and noticed nothing unusual. Elkins also had a prior criminal record, including for the unauthorised use of weapons.

Shreveport, a city in northwestern Louisiana, was left in shock. Tens of mourners gathered at a vigil to honour the victims. Mayor Arceneaux described the event as "perhaps the worst tragedy we have ever witnessed." Louisiana state senator Sam Jenkins used the occasion to call for greater investment in domestic violence prevention, urging that intervention resources be made "continuously and consistently available" to stop future tragedies.

Police have not yet formally established a motive, and the investigation remains ongoing. The case has reignited broader debate in the United States about domestic violence, mental health support, and access to weapons, with authorities appealing for public patience as detectives piece together the full sequence of events.