'Happy Easter had a wonderful time at church for the first time with all my kids what a blessed day.'
This was the caption given by the father, who captured a 'final moment of family peace' just days before committing one of Louisiana's most horrific massacres.
Shamar Elkins, 31, shared aFacebookphoto on Easter Sunday showing him posing with his seven children at church.
Exactly one week later, on 19 April 2026, police say Elkins turned a firearm on those same children in a targeted rampage atShreveport. The mass shooting has left eight children dead, ranging in age from three to 11.
Authorities confirmed that seven of the victims were Elkins' own children, while two women were left fighting for their lives. The gunman was eventually shot dead by officers following a high-stakes confrontation and a stolen vehicle chase.
This Shreveport mass shooting has devastated the local community and raised urgent questions about why a man with a history of firing at children in 2019 was free to commit such an act.
The image, now widely circulated on social media, has taken on a chilling significance in the aftermath of the tragedy, appearing to capture a moment of normalcy before the tragedy unfolded.
Friends and neighbours expressed disbelief that the man in the 'blessed' Easter photo could be capable of such a heinous act.
Authorities say themass shooting took place across multiple homes in Shreveport, Louisianaand described the incident as domestic in nature, with Elkins allegedly targeting his own family members, perThe Times.
Eight children between the ages of around 3 and 11 were killed, while two adult women were seriously injured but survived the attack. A 13-year-old boy managed to escape by jumping from a roof during the attack, sustaining multiple fractures.
Source: International Business Times UK
