A woman in Louisiana is still in the hospital after a tragic shooting over the weekend in Shreveport left eight children dead. Her family says she was a devoted mom who cared deeply about her kids.
Her cousin said she was someone who was entirely devoted to her children.
The shooting happened across multiple locations, and the man behind it, 31-year-old Shamar Elkins, killed seven of his own children along with another child related to the family.
After the attack, Elkins carjacked someone while armed. Police later confirmed he died, though it’s still unclear exactly how.
The incident started early Sunday morning when a woman called police saying her boyfriend had shot her, taken the kids, and driven off.
The injured mother was shot in the face. Doctors decided not to remove the bullet as it’s too risky. For now, she is able to speak, but her memory is fuzzy.
According to her family, she sometimes forgets what happened and believes her children are still alive, then later remembers the truth again.
Police are still trying to figure out what led to the shooting.
Elkins had a past criminal record and had previously been convicted for illegal use of a firearm, which meant he wasn’t allowed to have guns.
Officials have since arrested another man in connection with another weapon that was used.
Elkins had allegedly also been receiving mental health treatment and had spent over a week at a local veterans’ hospital.
His cousin, whom he wasn’t very close to, described him as a quiet man who is distant at family gatherings.
While he was quiet, however, relatives said he did spend time with his children, which is why the tragedy came as a complete shock to the family.
After the initial shooting on Harrison Street, police say Elkins went to another house on West 79th Street, not far from where Christina Snow lived.
Inside the building, officers found seven children dead; another child was later discovered on the roof at the back.
Authorities said most of the children had been shot in the head, and it looked like some of them were asleep when it happened.
Neighbors struggled to understand the entire situation. One man remembered seeing the kids outside playing not long ago, and mentioned that the family had only just moved into the house six months earlier.
