“‘I TRIED TO PULL THEM THROUGH THE WINDOW, BUT I WASN’T FAST ENOUGH…’ — TEAR-JERKING TESTIMONY FROM 13-YEAR-OLD REVEALS DESPERATE STRUGGLE TO SAVE HIS SIBLINGS BEFORE LEAPING FROM THE ROOF” The testimony of a 13-year-old survivor has left the world reeling, as he recounted the gut-wrenching moments when he tried to pull his younger siblings to safety during Shamar Elkins’ murderous rampage. With frantic desperation, the children—ranging in age from just 3 to 11—attempted to escape through windows and onto the roof, trying to flee from the “monster” that was their own father. The boy’s tear-filled recount of his desperate attempt to grab each sibling’s hand, before ultimately leaping from the roof to escape the carnage, has moved even the toughest officers to tears. The sight of a lifeless child on the rooftop and the survivor’s heartbreaking words about trying to save his siblings will haunt anyone who hears them. But the most enraging part? Just weeks before the massacre, Elkins posted a photo of his children with a chillingly hypocritical caption, presenting an image of a loving father while secretly planning to execute them.

Shamar Elkins, the Louisiana father accused of killing seven of his children and a relative in a mass shooting at a home in Shreveport.
Shamar Elkins.Credit : Facebook

NEED TO KNOW

  • Eight children were killed in a mass shooting at a Shreveport, La. residence on Sunday, April 19 shortly before 6 a.m
  • One child survived the mass shooting by jumping off the roof of the home
  • The 12-year-old girl sustained some broken bones but will recover

One child survived a family massacre in Louisiana over the weekend by jumping off the roof of the home.

Shreveport police spokesperson Christopher Bordelon told PEOPLE that the 12-year-old girl was injured after she fled from the scene and jumped off the roof during the incident on Sunday, April 19.

It was previously reported that the surviving child was a 13-year-old boy, however, Bordelon corrected this statement Monday afternoon.

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“He had some injuries, some broken bones, but we do expect him to recover,” Bordelon had said, according to CNN affiliate KSLA. “We’re just very thankful he was able to get away.”

Bordelon told PEOPLE in his updated statement that the girl was not a child of the suspect.

Eight children were killed in the mass shooting that occurred shortly before 6 a.m. Sunday at the Shreveport, La. residence.

A person passes the home where a mass shooting occurred the day before in Shreveport, La., Monday, April 20, 2026.
AP Photo/Gerald Herbert

Seven of the children were found dead in the home — several in their beds — and the eighth child was found deceased near the roof, Bordelon said, adding that he believes he was shot while fleeing in an attempt to escape.

The suspect, Shamar Elkins, was the father of seven of the children who ranged in age from 3 to 11, according to police. The coroner’s office identified the eighth child as a cousin.

Police have described the shooting as domestic-violence related.

The victims were identified as Jayla Elkins, 3; Shayla Elkins, 5; Kayla Pugh, 6; Layla Pugh, 7; Markaydon Pugh, 10; Sariahh Snow, 11; Khedarrion Snow, 6; and Braylon Snow, 5, the Caddo Parish Coroner’s Office said in a statement to PEOPLE.

Police had said Elkins, 31, first shot a woman on nearby Harrison Street and then went to the home on West 79th Street where he opened fire. His wife was also shot in the incident.

According to Bordelon, Elkins was staying at the residence on Harrison Street when his girlfriend and her three kids stopped by. He shot her at that location and then took the children to the West 79th Street residence, where he fatally shot them and the other kids in their beds.

Elkins then carjacked a vehicle and died following a police pursuit, according to authorities.

If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.

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