, the disturbed Army veteran who tragically took the lives of his seven children and their cousin, admitted to being overwhelmed by “dark thoughts”. He informed his stepfather that certain individuals “do not return from their demons” just weeks prior to the horrific killing, the New York Times reported.
Elkins, aged 31, killed eight children — including five girls and three boys aged between 3 and 11 — and inflicted serious injuries on two women, believed to be his wife and girlfriend, during a shooting spree in Shreveport following a dispute with his spouse at approximately 6 a.m. on Sunday.
On Easter Sunday, reached out to his mother, Mahelia Elkins, and his stepfather, Marcus Jackson, and ominously expressed that he was overwhelmed by “dark thoughts,” wished to take his own life, and mentioned that his wife, Shaneiqua Pugh (Elkins), was seeking a divorce, as per the New York Times.
“I told him, ‘You can beat stuff, man. I don’t care what you’re going through, you can beat it,’” Elkins stepfather told the publication. “Then I remember him telling me: ‘Some people don’t come back from their demons.’”
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Shamar Elkins and court appearance
Mahelia expressed uncertainty regarding the issues her son and his wife were facing, according to the Times. They were married in 2024 and had four children together.
However, a relative of one of the injured women said that the couple was undergoing separation proceedings and was scheduled to appear in court on Monday.
According to Crystal Brown, who spoke to the Associated Press, they had been in a dispute about the dissolution of their relationship when Elkins — who was subsequently shot by police — began firing.
Shamar Elkins’ profession
The father, who was identified as the shooter, was employed at UPS and had served in the Louisiana Army National Guard from August 2013 to August 2020, holding the positions of signal support system specialist and fire support specialist, as stated by the Times.
A coworker from UPS described Elkins as a committed father, but noted that he frequently appeared stressed and would pull out his hair, resulting in a noticeable bald spot, according to the publication.
The majority of the victims were shot in the head while they were asleep, Shreveport Police Department spokesman Christopher Bordelon told NBC News.
According to police, one child was fatally shot on the roof while attempting to flee.
Elkins, who was subsequently killed by police during an attempted carjacking, also shot and injured two women — the mothers of his children and his reported girlfriend— amid his violent rampage.
