Mom Who Lost 3 Kids In Louisiana Shooting Still Has A Bullet Lodged In Her Face, Cousin Says

A Louisiana female recovering successful nan infirmary aft nan weekend rampage that killed 8 children and rocked Shreveport was a dedicated mother to her 2 young sons and girl who were fatally changeable by their father, nan woman’s relative said Tuesday.

That relative said Christina Snow was 1 of nan 2 women injured Sunday greeting by Shamar Elkins, 31, successful nan shooting.

“All she worked for was her kids, and each she talked astir was her kids,” Jamarckus Snow told NBC News connected Tuesday. “It’s devastating.”

Christina Snow and Elkins’ wife, Shaneiqua Pugh, were some injured successful nan shooting that unfolded crossed respective locations. Seven of Elkins’ children were killed, arsenic good arsenic a cousin. Their mothers identified them 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 died aft he carjacked a personification astatine gunpoint, according to police. It’s unclear if he died by termination aliases was fatally changeable by police.

The unit erupted connected Harrison Street conscionable earlier 6 a.m. Sunday erstwhile constabulary said Elkins changeable a woman. In a telephone to constabulary dispatch, nan female said her fellow had changeable her, taken her children and fled, Police Chief Wayne Smith said Monday.

People grieve arsenic they comfortableness each different extracurricular nan segment of a wide shooting successful Shreveport, La., April 19, 2026.Gerald Herbert / AP

Snow was changeable successful nan face, according to her cousin. He said Snow’s mom told him that nan slug went done her chemoreceptor and is still lodged successful her face.

“Doctors opportunity they didn’t want to do room and consequence it,” he said.

Snow tin talk, but she has representation issues, Jamarckus Snow said, recounting what his cousin’s mother has shared pinch him.

“One day, she’ll retrieve they’re dead. I heard yesterday she woke up and was like, ‘I sewage to get my kids fresh for school.’ She’ll suffer representation of what happened,” he said. “One day, she’ll know, and nan adjacent day, she’s reasoning her kids is still there.”

What led up to nan shooting is still being investigated.

Elkins, a erstwhile National Guardsman, had been arrested successful 2019 and convicted of forbidden usage of a firearm, a condemnation that apt prohibited him from legally owning firearms. On Tuesday, national prosecutors arrested a man successful relationship to nan firearm Elkins utilized successful nan attack.

Relatives said that Elkins had precocious sought intelligence wellness curen from nan section Veteran Affairs aesculapian center, wherever he stayed for much than a week.

Jamarckus Snow said he did not cognize overmuch astir his cousin’s narration pinch Elkins but recalled seeing him astatine family gatherings.

“He had travel complete a mates of occasions, but we ne'er conscionable sat down and talked,” he said. “He would region himself from people, for illustration he wasn’t nan personification that would conscionable travel retired and talk to you. He would beryllium to himself aliases he would spell beryllium successful nan car.”

Jamarckus Snow said Elkins had not attended a family arena successful years, but he occasionally saw Elkins successful nan neighborhood. The shooting, he said, came arsenic a shock.

“The times I did spot him aliases I did spell by her location aliases something, he had nan kids,” he said. “He spent clip pinch them, he was location for them. I can’t opportunity that he didn’t emotion his kids because he did. It was unexpected.”

After nan shooting connected Harrison Street, constabulary said Elkins went to a location successful nan 300 artifact of West 79th Street, wherever Pugh is believed to unrecorded conscionable blocks distant from Christina Snow. The bodies of 7 children were recovered successful nan home. The eighth kid was recovered dormant connected nan backmost roof.

Most of nan children had been changeable successful nan head, constabulary spokesperson Christopher Bordelon said. It appears galore of them had been sleeping.

Shaneiqua Pugh was besides changeable successful nan look and was hospitalized successful captious condition, according to police. A teen suffered non-life-threatening injuries aft falling disconnected nan tile of a location during nan violence, officials said.

People be a candlelight vigil for nan victims of a wide shooting, successful Shreveport, La., connected April 19, 2026.Brandon Bell / Getty Images

Neighbors said nan shootings made “no sense.” Freddie Montgomery recalled seeing nan children playing successful nan yard. Elkins and his family had been surviving successful nan location for only astir six months.

“When we recovered retired what had really happened complete there, it was just, conscionable a shock,” he said.

Mack London, 71, lives connected nan artifact but did not perceive immoderate gunfire. He said that benignant of unit is unheard of successful their neighborhood.

“Nothing for illustration this has ever happened connected this street,” he said. “It was bad. … I dislike that it happened to those kids.”