Early Sunday morning in Shreveport, Louisiana, 31-year-old Shamar Elkins reportedly got into an argument with his wife. He then went on a shooting rampage across several homes. Now, chilling 911 audio connected to the attack has been released.
According to police, Elkins killed his seven children and their cousin, and left both his girlfriend and wife injured in what has been described as a domestic violence incident. The mass shooting sent shockwaves across the nation and has been described as the deadliest in the United States in more than two years.
“I just don’t know what to say. My heart is just taken aback,” Shreveport Police Chief Wayne Smith told reporters, per NBC News. “I just cannot begin to imagine how such an event can occur.”
“Some were shot trying to get away”
Elkins allegedly fled the scene before being fatally shot by police following a chase.
In a chilling 911 audio connected to the shooting, a dispatcher is heard saying: “The female is saying there’s nine subjects that live inside the residence, and he may have shot them all.
“They have a female with a gunshot wound to the face. Assailant left the scene.”
Shreveport Police Corporal Christopher Bordelon described the horrifying scene officers encountered: “There’s blood and bodies everywhere,” he said, according to People. “Some were shot in the bed, some were shot trying to get away.”
Mayor Tom Arceneaux said in a news conference: “This is a tragic situation, maybe the worst tragic situation we’ve ever had in Shreveport,” according to CNN.
Louisiana mass murder
Authorities have also confirmed that Charles Ford, 56, has been charged by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana in connection with the incident. He faces accusations including being a felon in possession of a firearm and making false statements to federal agents. Investigators believe the charges are tied to the weapon reportedly used by Elkins. He faces up to 15 years in prison, according to KSLA.
United States Attorney Zachary A. Keller said: “Words fall short in the face of the acts Shamar Elkins perpetrated in Shreveport on April 19 – they are beyond comprehension or description. Our law enforcement partners are investigating every angle of how this tragedy came to occur, and this case arises from that investigation – in particular, how Elkins secured a firearm that he used to execute his own children,” per KSLA.
“Elkins’ death means that our community will never see him face justice. Our hope, as we continue to investigate and prosecute this case alongside our law enforcement partners, is that holding the person whose gun Elkins used to perpetrate the crime accountable will give some small bit of solace to our Shreveport community.”
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