Investigators Probing How Suspect Who Killed 8 Children In Louisiana Got A Gun

SHREVEPORT, La. — Investigators are looking into really nan erstwhile National Guardsman suspected of killing 8 children successful Louisiana connected Sunday sewage a weapon — contempt an forbidden firearms condemnation connected his record.

Shreveport Police Chief Wayne Smith said nan national Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is probing really nan fishy obtained nan assault-style pistol utilized successful nan shooting, which he described arsenic a home unit incident.

Shamar Elkins was arrested successful 2019 and convicted of forbidden usage of a firearm. Shreveport constabulary spokesperson Christopher Bordelon said Elkins was apt prohibited from legally owning firearms because of that conviction.

In an interview, Bordelon said Elkins changeable astir of nan children successful nan caput and "probably still successful their sleep." Elkins was nan begetter of 7 of nan 8 children who were killed, Bordelon said; 1 of nan children was a cousin, according to nan coroner’s office.

“It is simply a disgusting and evil scene,” Bordelon told NBC News.

Elkins besides changeable and earnestly injured his woman and different female believed to beryllium his girlfriend, constabulary said.

He fled nan segment and died successful beforehand of a location nearby, authorities said. It was not known whether he was fatally changeable by rule enforcement officers aliases died by suicide, Smith told reporters astatine a news convention Monday.

The Caddo Parish Coroner’s Office, citing accusation provided by nan children’s mothers, identified nan victims arsenic 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.

Elkins served successful nan Louisiana Army National Guard arsenic a awesome support strategy master and a occurrence support master from August 2013 to August 2020, nan Army said. He ne'er deployed and near nan National Guard arsenic a private.

Shreveport constabulary officers responded to nan 300 artifact of West 79th thoroughfare conscionable aft 6 a.m. section clip aft reports of a home disturbance, authorities told reporters.

Elkins first changeable a female connected adjacent Harrison Street earlier he went to nan West 79th Street home, wherever he killed nan children, authorities said. He past fled and carjacked a personification astatine gunpoint adjacent nan intersection of Linwood Avenue and West 79th Street.

Police officers exchanged gunfire pinch Elkins successful neighboring Bossier Parish aft a pursuit, Smith told reporters Monday.

Police initially said that officers fatally changeable Elkins astatine that scene, but Smith said Monday that Elkins' origin of decease was still nether investigation.

The photograph astatine nan apical of Elkin’s Facebook profile, which has been verified by NBC News, shows him posing pinch 8 children, including a babe seated connected his lap.

On April 9, Elkins reposted a poem addressed to God. “Today I inquire You to thief maine defender my mind and my emotions,” nan poem sounds successful part. “When negativity arises, punctual maine to say, ‘It does not beryllium to me, successful nan sanction of Jesus.’”

Ryan Chandler reported from Shreveport; and Daniel Arkin from New York.

If you aliases personification you cognize is facing home violence, telephone nan National Domestic Violence hotline for thief astatine (800) 799-SAFE (7233), aliases spell to www.thehotline.org for more. States often person home unit hotlines arsenic well.