Gun Owner Charged In Shreveport Child Mass Killing Says Rifle Was Stolen From Truck
A Shreveport man has been federally charged over possession of the rifle used in a mass shooting that killed eight children and says the weapon was stolen.
Federal officials arrested 56-year-old Charles Ford of Shreveport and charged him with being a felon in possession and with making false statements to agents. Prosecutors say he faces up to 15 years on the felon charge and up to 5 years for the false-statement count. An affidavit says Ford first denied having the assault-style rifle but later told investigators he believed Shamar Elkins stole it from his truck around March 9. Authorities and the ATF are tracing the weapon's history as the U.S. attorney said prosecuting Ford might offer some solace to a grieving community.
Police identified the shooter as Shamar Elkins and say he killed eight children and wounded two women in a spree that began during a domestic dispute. Officers say the attack hit multiple homes on one block and a third location, and some victims were related to the suspect. Officials say Elkins was shot and killed during a vehicle pursuit that continued into neighboring Bossier City, and Louisiana State Police are investigating the encounter. Neighbors described a "full-blown shootout," while relatives and officials said Elkins had threatened violence before and had a 2019 felony weapons conviction.
Early coverage largely framed the killings as a domestic-violence incident focused on the immediate crime scene and victims. Later reporting, led by the New York Times and ABC News, added reporting on Elkins' repeated threats, prior contacts with law enforcement and systemic gaps that failed to keep guns from him. Advocates and officials on social media and in briefings urged changes to domestic-violence firearm rules, noting research that a woman is about five times more likely to be killed when a gun is present. Commentary also pointed out that firearm injuries have become the leading cause of death for U.S. children and teens, a statistic many cited in calls for policy change.
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This story is compiled from 28 sources using AI-assisted curation and analysis. Original reporting is attributed below. Learn about our methodology.
📌 Key Facts
- The shooting occurred in Shreveport, Louisiana, and officials have characterized it as a domestic-violence incident that unfolded across multiple locations on the same block and a nearby neighborhood site.
- Police say 10 people were shot in the attack and eight children were killed; officials reported the slain children were roughly between about 3 and 11 years old, and two adult women and one child survived.
- Authorities say the attacker began by shooting a woman at one home, then went to a second residence where most of the children were killed; witnesses described victims trying to escape and the crime scene extending across three locations.
- The suspect was publicly identified as Shamar Elkins — an adult male who served in the Louisiana Army National Guard (2013–2020) and is believed to have been the father of seven of the slain children (one victim was reported to be a nephew); Elkins died after a vehicle pursuit and gunfire in Bossier City, but officials have not confirmed whether his death was from police gunfire or self-inflicted wounds.
- Federal and local investigators traced the assault-style rifle used in the killings to a prior purchaser; 56-year-old Charles Ford of Shreveport was arrested and federally charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and making false statements after initially denying possession and later telling investigators he believed Elkins stole the rifle from his truck around March 9.
- Law-enforcement agencies including the ATF and Louisiana State Police are investigating: the ATF helped with the firearm trace and Louisiana State Police were asked to probe the officer-involved shooting; authorities released a photo of the weapon and U.S. prosecutors say they pursued charges against Ford in part because Elkins is deceased and cannot be prosecuted.
- Reporting documents that Elkins had prior contacts with police and that family members and acquaintances had reported threats, erratic behavior and past firearm offenses (including a 2019 felony illegal-use-of-weapons conviction), with experts and advocates saying the case highlights gaps in systems meant to prevent domestic gun violence and enforce firearm prohibitions.
- Local officials and community leaders described the killings as among the area’s most heartbreaking tragedies, called attention to domestic-violence and gun-law gaps, and noted the broader impact on schools, families and victim-survivors as the community mourns.
📰 Source Timeline (28)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
April 22, 2026
12:19 PM
Man charged for having gun used by Louisiana shooter says it was stolen
New information:
- Identifies the prior gun owner as 56-year-old Shreveport resident Charles Ford.
- Confirms Ford has been federally charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and making false statements to federal agents.
- Details that Ford initially lied to investigators, then admitted he believed suspected shooter Shamar Elkins stole the assault-style rifle from his truck around March 9.
- Notes an affidavit describing Ford confronting Elkins about the missing weapon and then dropping the matter when Elkins became "offensive."
- Reports that the original purchaser of the rifle told authorities she had given the gun to Ford.
- Adds a statement from U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller saying Elkins' death means he will never face justice and that prosecuting Ford might offer some solace to the community.
- Clarifies that Shreveport police and ATF have initiated a trace on the firearm to track its history.
- Reiterates that Elkins pleaded guilty in 2019 to illegal use of weapons and surrendered a handgun as a probation condition, while noting officials have not said whether he was legally barred from possessing the rifle.
7:06 AM
Gun used to kill 8 children was stolen from truck, Louisiana man tells investigators
New information:
- Affidavit says Charles Ford told investigators he believes shooter Shamar Elkins stole the assault-style gun from his truck around March 9.
- Ford allegedly confronted Elkins about the missing weapon but dropped the matter when Elkins became "offensive."
- The affidavit confirms Ford initially denied possessing the gun when first approached by investigators after the shooting.
- U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller said Elkins' death means he will never face justice and framed prosecuting Ford as a way to bring some solace to the community.
- Article reiterates that Elkins pleaded guilty in 2019 to a felony illegal use of weapons charge and surrendered a handgun as a condition of probation.
- Story notes Louisiana law bars people convicted of certain violent felonies, including illegal use of weapons, from possessing guns for at least 10 years after completing their sentence.
3:26 AM
Man Is Charged With Providing Gun to Louisiana Shooter
New information:
- Federal agents arrested Charles Ford of Shreveport and charged him with possessing a firearm as a felon.
- Ford is also charged with making a false statement to a federal agent about the weapon used in the shootings.
- Article confirms authorities believe Ford provided the firearm used by shooter Shamar Elkins in the rampage.
- New York Times reiterates casualty details as eight children ages 3 to 11 killed and two adults critically wounded, and notes uncertainty over whether Elkins died by police fire or self-inflicted gunshot.
1:34 AM
DOJ arrests man accused of providing gun used by father who allegedly killed eight children
New information:
- DOJ announced the arrest of 56-year-old Shreveport resident Charles Ford in connection with the shooting.
- Ford, a convicted felon, is accused of illegally possessing the rifle used by alleged shooter Shamar Elkins.
- Authorities say Ford was the original purchaser of the rifle and allegedly gave Elkins access to it.
- Ford is also charged with lying to ATF agents about ever possessing the firearm before later admitting he had it under a seat.
- He faces up to 15 years in federal prison on the felon-in-possession charge and up to 5 years on the false statement charge.
- ATF and Shreveport Police conducted a trace on the rifle and DOJ released a photo of the weapon.
- U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller said prosecutors hope holding Ford accountable will provide some solace since Elkins was killed and cannot be prosecuted.
- An Army official confirmed Elkins previously served in the Louisiana Army National Guard.
April 21, 2026
11:36 PM
Louisiana shooting exposes "dangerous gaps" in domestic violence, gun laws
New information:
- CBS foregrounds that advocates are urging policymakers to close what they call 'dangerous gaps' in domestic violence firearm legislation after the Shreveport killings.
- Cites Bureau of Justice Statistics data that almost 5.4 million Americans reported being victims of domestic violence in the last five years, with the vast majority women.
- Reinforces research that a woman is five times more likely to be killed in a domestic violence situation if a gun is present and notes that firearm injuries are now the leading cause of death among U.S. children and teens.
- Details Louisiana's existing ban on firearm possession for people convicted of domestic abuse or battery and explains that the state does not require gun sellers to be licensed, allowing some sales without background checks.
- Quotes local officials calling domestic violence in Shreveport a 'true epidemic' and emphasizing the need to prioritize it across city government and law enforcement.
3:13 AM
A preschool classroom is shaken by loss after a mass killing in Louisiana
New information:
- Names one of the child victims as 5-year-old Braylon Snow and describes him as one of seven siblings killed along with a cousin.
- Details Braylon's daily life at Johnnie L. Cochran Head Start, including that he had just learned to write his first and last name and was preparing for Head Start graduation.
- Provides on-the-record emotional account from his teacher Angela Hall about how the class noticed his absence and her struggle to address the loss with preschoolers.
- States that Shreveport schools were "limping through the day" after what is described as the deadliest U.S. mass shooting in more than two years.
12:20 AM
Louisiana Killer’s Threats to Himself and Others Hinted at Future Violence
New information:
- Details that Shamar Elkins repeatedly threatened violence against others and himself in the years before the Shreveport killings, including talking about killing his family and dying by police fire.
- Family members and acquaintances had reported or raised alarm about his threats and erratic behavior, but there was no sustained, effective intervention.
- The piece reconstructs a timeline of law enforcement and social-system contacts, showing prior arrests, a 2019 felony gun conviction, and other red flags that did not prevent him from accessing a firearm.
- Sources describe specific incidents in which Elkins allegedly pointed guns, voiced suicidal ideation, or talked about wanting to "go out" violently.
- Experts quoted in the article tie these missed warning signs to broader gaps in U.S. systems for responding to threats and domestic violence, including red-flag laws and enforcement of existing gun prohibitions.
April 20, 2026
11:46 PM
Dad who lost son in Louisiana shooting: "I'm never gonna get to throw the football with him again"
New information:
- CBS aired an interview with a father who lost his son in the Louisiana shooting, highlighting his statement that he will never throw a football with his son again.
- Police reiterated that the gunman was targeting his own family when he opened fire, consistent with earlier domestic-violence framing.
- The CBS piece foregrounds personal victim-impact storytelling rather than new investigative or procedural developments.
10:35 PM
Killing of 8 children in Louisiana renews focus on domestic violence involving guns
New information:
- PBS segment explicitly frames the Shreveport killings as a domestic-violence case involving firearms, stressing the link between intimate-partner/family violence and gun access.
- Interview guest April Zeoli is brought in as a subject-matter expert to discuss patterns in domestic shootings, known risk factors, and prevention tools such as protective-order firearm removal (not fully detailed in the brief text, but implied by her expertise).
- The piece emphasizes that the shooter was reportedly the father of seven of the eight children he killed, using that to illustrate dynamics of familicide and domestic gun violence.
8:57 PM
An Hour of Chaos: How the Louisiana Shooting Unfolded
New information:
- Wall Street Journal pins the active law-enforcement response window at 63 minutes on Sunday morning.
- Article confirms multiple linked incidents during that hour, including at least two shootings, a reported kidnapping, a carjacking and an armed suspect chase.
- Caddo Parish Sheriff Henry Whitehorn Sr. is quoted calling it one of the most heartbreaking tragedies the area has ever witnessed.
6:34 PM
Louisiana community is struggling to understand after man killed 8 children
New information:
- Police say the shooter, identified as Shamar Elkins, used an assault-style weapon despite a 2019 felony conviction for illegal use of weapons that should have barred him from possessing guns for at least 10 years.
- Family members identify the wife as Shaneiqua Elkins and say the couple were separating and due in court the next day after arguments over the separation.
- Relatives describe the wife's sister escaping with a child by jumping from the roof and calling police minutes after the attack began.
- Officials specify the ages and sex of the victims as three boys and five girls ranging from 3 to 11 years old, and note that Elkins' nephew was among the dead.
- Louisiana National Guard confirms Elkins served from 2013 to 2020 as a signal support system specialist and fire support specialist with no deployments, holding the rank of private.
- Police say it remains unclear whether Elkins died from police gunfire or a self-inflicted shot after a vehicle pursuit.
4:55 PM
Louisiana officials give update on mass shooting that left 8 children dead
New information:
- Louisiana officials said at a Monday press conference that two women and one child survived the Sunday shooting.
- Authorities publicly confirmed the survival count alongside the already reported eight child fatalities.
4:32 PM
Shreveport, La., Shooting: What We Know About the Killing of 8 Children
New information:
- New York Times provides a structured, timeline-based reconstruction of the shootings, clarifying the sequence of attacks across the three locations.
- Article adds more detailed biographical and family context on several of the child victims and the adult women, including relationships and ages.
- Piece includes expanded description of prior contacts between the suspect and law enforcement and what neighbors and relatives report about warning signs and domestic tensions.
- NYT refines the timeline of the initial domestic incident, the subsequent attacks on children, and the police pursuit and final confrontation in Bossier City.
2:43 PM
Neighbors recall "full-blown shootout" as father targeted kids in shooting
New information:
- Neighbors Jacob and Tiffany Castleman describe hearing sirens, a barrage of gunfire and what they call a 'full-blown shootout' behind their home during the police confrontation with suspect Shamar Elkins.
- Neighbor Liza Demming says her security camera captured the gunman running from the house and two shots, and she later saw a child's covered body on the roof.
- Daycare owner Lashuan Berry, who knew the family, characterizes Elkins as having 'no soul' and 'dead behind the eyes,' while another neighbor, Fred Montgomery, says the family life had appeared normal the night before.
- A relative tells AP that Elkins and his wife had been arguing over their separation ahead of a Monday court appearance, offering more detail on the domestic dispute context.
- Police reiterate that Elkins first shot one woman in the face around 5 a.m., then went to another residence where he shot the eight children and a second woman, targeting victims as they tried to escape through a window.
1:57 PM
Man killed 8 children in "execution-style" shooting, police says
New information:
- CBS segment explicitly notes that suspect Shamar Elkins served in the Louisiana Army National Guard from 2013 to 2020.
- The piece reiterates that officials characterize the shootings as beginning as a domestic dispute before becoming a mass shooting.
1:12 PM
8 children killed in tragic mass shooting linked to domestic dispute
New information:
- Police publicly described the Shreveport killings as an 'execution-style' mass shooting.
- CBS segment reinforces that eight victims were children and that the shootings are being framed as a domestic dispute.
- Law-enforcement commentary on national TV underscores the case as a particularly extreme example of domestic mass violence.
12:22 PM
Man kills 8 children, including 7 of his own, in Louisiana mass shooting, police say
New information:
- Police publicly identified the suspect as Shamar Elkins.
- Investigators said seven of the eight slain children were Elkins' own kids, clarifying prior general family-relationship descriptions.
- CBS framed the suspect's death explicitly as occurring in an exchange of gunfire with officers after the incident.
10:30 AM
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New information:
- NPR reiterates Shreveport police’s account that a gunman killed eight children and wounded two women in northwest Louisiana in a domestic disturbance.
- The newsletter notes that police believe the adult male suspect was the father of seven of the children killed and that one of the women shot was his wife and the mother of seven of the children.
- NPR confirms again that the suspect is dead, aligning with earlier reports of his death after a police pursuit.
April 19, 2026
9:16 PM
8 children killed in Louisiana shooting, police say
New information:
- Confirms attack began at one home where a woman was shot, then moved to a second home where most children were killed.
- Adds witness account from neighbor Liza Demming, whose camera captured the suspect running and who saw a child's body on the roof.
- Provides detail that some children tried to escape out a back door, according to State Rep. Tammy Phelps.
- Clarifies that the Caddo Parish Coroner has not yet released victims' names as identifications are pending.
- Specifies that Louisiana State Police detectives were asked to investigate the officer-involved shooting in Bossier City and that no officers were injured.
- Notes this is the deadliest U.S. mass shooting since an eight-fatality incident in a Chicago suburb in January 2024, per an AP/USA Today/Northeastern database.
8:24 PM
Louisiana officials speak after 8 children and teens killed in shooting
New information:
- CBS carried a live briefing where Louisiana officials publicly confirmed that eight victims were children and teens.
- Officials again emphasized that police view the incident as domestic in nature.
6:00 PM
Eight Children Killed in Louisiana Shooting
New information:
- Wall Street Journal confirms the suspect carjacked a vehicle while fleeing before being killed by officers.
- Article explicitly characterizes the incident as taking place during a domestic dispute, consistent with but independently corroborating earlier police framing.
- Provides a succinct official description that the man 'opened fire' before fleeing, reinforcing the basic sequence of events.
5:56 PM
Police give early update on Shreveport, Louisiana mass shooting
New information:
- Confirms that officials held a Sunday afternoon press conference on the case.
- Identifies specific briefing participants: Corporal Chris Bordelon, Mayor Tom Arceneaux and Police Chief Wayne Smith.
- Reiterates that police are describing the incident as a domestic disturbance in which 10 people were shot and eight children died.
5:33 PM
8 children dead in mass shooting that began as domestic dispute, police say
New information:
- Police spokesperson Chris Bordelon said the victims ranged in age from about 1 to 14 and confirmed a total of 10 people were shot, including two adults.
- Bordelon said the suspect stole a car at gunpoint about a half block from the original scene before the fatal police shootout in Bossier Parish.
- Mayor Tom Arceneaux called it 'maybe the worst tragic situation we've ever had' and noted Shreveport has about 180,000 residents.
- Louisiana State Police specified that no officers were injured in the shootout and asked the public to submit photos or video to detectives.
5:26 PM
Eight children killed in a shooting in Louisiana, police say
New information:
- NPR confirms the age range of the slain children as between 1 and 14 years old.
- Police spokesman Cpl. Christopher Bordelon says some of the children were the suspect's descendants.
- NPR explicitly describes the episode as stemming from a domestic disturbance and identifies the suspect as an adult male.
- NPR reiterates that Louisiana State Police are investigating the officer-involved shooting after the car chase.
4:41 PM
8 children killed in mass shooting in Louisiana, police say
New information:
- Confirms eight victims were children and teens and that the suspected shooter is also dead.
- Specifies that the shootings occurred at multiple locations, including two residences on the same block and a third elsewhere in the neighborhood.
- Reaffirms Shreveport Police Chief Wayne Smith as the official briefing source at a news conference.
4:19 PM
8 Children Killed in Louisiana Domestic Violence Shooting, Police Say
New information:
- Confirms the shooting occurred in Shreveport, Louisiana, rather than only generically in the state.
- Characterizes the incident explicitly as a domestic violence shooting, aligning with police framing in more detail.
- Adds New York Times as an additional corroborating national outlet covering the same event.
4:10 PM
Police say 8 children killed in Louisiana mass shooting
New information:
- Police say a total of 10 people were shot in the incident, with eight children killed.
- Shreveport Police Chief Wayne Smith said the crime scene extends across three locations in the city.
- The suspected shooter was fatally shot by police during a vehicle pursuit that continued into Bossier City.
- Victims range in age from about 1 to 14 years old, and some of the children were related to the suspect.
- Louisiana State Police detectives have been asked by Shreveport police to investigate the officer-involved shooting, and no officers were injured.