In a major update on the tragic mass shooting in Shreveport, Louisiana, on Sunday, authorities on Monday identified one of the victims as the wife of the suspect, Shamar Elkins. Elkins shot his wife, Shaneiqua Pugh, his eight children, seven of whom were his own, the mother of his other three children, and one more individual before being shot dead by deputies after a police chase.
The eight children killed by Elkins were identified by the Caddo Parish coroner’s office as Jayla Elkins, 3, Shayla Elkins, 5, Kayla Pugh, 6, Layla Pugh, 6, Markaydon Pugh, 10, Sariahh Snow, 11, Khedarrion Snow, 6, and Braylon Snow, 5.
Shaneiqua Pugh and the mother of Elkins’ other three children are still critical and undergoing treatment after Sunday’s shooting.
Who Is Shaneiqua Pugh?
Shaneiqua Pugh, 34, was one of the two women shot at the two Shreveport residences by Shamar Elkins on Sunday. He was the wife of Shamar Elkins and had four children with her, all of whom were fatally shot. The other woman was the mother of three child with Elkins. CNN reports citing public records that Elkins and Pugh got married around two years ago.
Also read: Shamar Elkins posted concerning message about wife and marriage days before Louisiana shooting
Christopher Bordelon, a Shreveport Police spokesperson, said that Shaneiqua Pugh was shot by Elkins first, followed by the eight children. He added that Shaneiqua Pugh and Shamar Elkins were involved in a domestic dispute over their separation, which was slated to go to court on Monday, April 20 in Louisiana.
Pugh has very “very serious injuries” from the shooting, Bordelon said, while the other woman has “life-threatening,” KSLA reported.
Shaneiqua Pugh called 911 when Elkins barged into the home on Sunday morning and shot everyone inside. She made a second 911 call as she and one of her children tried to escape through the roof and into the back yard of the house, Shreveport Police Chief Wayne Smith said Monday.
One minute later, the caller advised that she and her children had fled from the roof and were now in the backyard; 6:01 a.m. officers arrived on the scene,” he added.
Also read: Shamar Elkins’ friend gives shocking details after Louisiana shooting: ‘Military just messed him up’
Family Shares Details Of Bumpy Divorce Proceedings
Since the identification of Shamar Elkins as the suspect of the deadly mass shooting, the 31-year-old’s family has shared more details on his rocky marriage with Shaneiqua Pugh. Elkins mother and stepfather told the New York Times that he was drowning in “dark thoughts” over the divorce.
“I told him, ‘You can beat stuff, man. I don’t care what you’re going through, you can beat it,” Elkins’ stepfather, Marcus Jackson, said to NYT. “Then I remember him telling me: ‘Some people don’t come back from their demons.’”
He had also hinted at not taking the divorce in the right way in multiple Facebook posts.
