The suspect behind a shooting that claimed the lives of eight children has been identified locally.
Shamar Elkins, 31, stands accused of murdering eight children aged between one and 14 in what has become the deadliest mass shooting in the United States in more than two years.
Police informed KSLA that Elkins is believed to be the father of some of the victims. A total of 10 people were shot, with two women surviving the horrific ordeal. One of the female victims is reported to be fighting for her life after sustaining a gunshot wound to the head.
The tragedy unfolded on Sunday morning when the gunman approached a property in Shreveport, where the devastating massacre is said to have taken place.
Officers revealed that Elkins subsequently drove to Harrison Street, approximately a quarter of a mile away, following a carjacking that prompted police to pursue him in a high-speed chase. He then proceeded to a third location, where he was shot and killed by officers.
Liza Demming, who resides two houses from one of the attack scenes, revealed that her security camera captured footage of the suspect fleeing, along with the sound of two gunshots.
"That's pretty much all I saw, was him running out of the house and the cars leaving," she said.
Ms Demming later ventured outside to discover the covered body of a child on the roof of the property. She stated she did not know the gunman by name.
"He looks like the dad that comes over here," she said, adding that he was just with the children a few days ago. Officers and residents alike are coming to terms with the shooting, the deadliest in the US since eight people were killed in a Chicago suburb in January 2024, according to a database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University.
The suspect died following a pursuit with officers who opened fire, said Chris Bordelon, spokesperson for the Shreveport Police Department. Mr Bordelon spoke of the harrowing scenes that greeted officers upon their arrival.
Source: Daily Express :: World Feed
