Just days before he allegedly unleashed one of the deadliest family massacres in American history, Shamar Elkins stood outside in the spring sunshine, surrounded by his children - seven of them gathered close, some grinning, some camera-shy, all dressed for church. 

'Happy Easter had a wonderful time at church for the first time with all my kids what a blessed day,' he wrote alongside the image posted earlier this month.

Now, that same image has become a haunting snapshot of a family just two weeks before unimaginable horror - unleashed by their own father - took their lives.

Tragedy erupted early on Sunday morning in Shreveport, Louisiana, when police say Elkins, 31, opened fire as he went on the rampage, determined to wipe out his entire family.

Authorities have described the incident as a domestic disturbance that left eight children dead and several others wounded.

Officers were called just after 6am to reports of gunfire at a home located steps away from a Baptist church.

By the time the violence ended, at least 10 people had been shot. Eight children, ranging in age from as young as three years to teenagers, were all dead.

Police confirmed that seven of the victims were Elkins' own children, while an eighth child was his nephew.

Two adult women, including one identified as his wife, Shaneiqua Elkins, and one with whom he had also fathered children survived, despite suffering gunshot wounds to the head.

Shaneiqua was undergoing surgery Sunday night, and her family was identifying the bodies of her children, a relative told the Daily Mail.

'We are in shock right now with the events that's unfolded. Family members are standing by her hoping her surgery goes well,' the relative said.

'It's truly a tragedy to experience this loss. Losing seven of your children and also being shot yourself.'  

A young boy, caught in the chaos, leapt from the roof of the home in a desperate attempt to escape.

Authorities say Elkins fled the scene, carried out a carjacking, and led cops on a high-speed chase to a neighboring parish before he was shot and killed by police.

'This is a tragic situation - maybe the worst tragic situation we've ever had,' Shreveport Mayor Tom Arceneaux said as the city grappled with the scale of the loss.

'We have a hurting community, we have hurting families, we have hurting police officers… This affects the entire community.'

Police spokesperson Christopher Bordelon described the investigation as sprawling and complex.

'The crime scene was rather extensive,' he said. 'We do believe him to be the only individual that fired gunshots at these locations here.'

At the second home, seven children were killed inside and one was found dead on the roof after apparently trying to escape.

Investigators have said they believe the violence was 'entirely a domestic incident'. 

Police said the attacks began before sunrise in a neighborhood south of downtown Shreveport when the suspect shot a woman at one home and then drove to the other location 'where this heinous act was carried out.'

Another child also jumped off the same roof and was expected to survive after being taken to a hospital.

State Rep Tammy Phelps said some children also tried to get away through the back door.

'I can't even imagine what the police officers, first responders actually dealt with when they got here today,' she said at a news conference.

The victims were three boys and five girls, according to the Caddo Parish Coroner´s office.

Shamar Elkins and his wife were in the middle of separating and were due in court on Monday, said Crystal Brown, a cousin of one of the wounded women. 

Brown said the couple had been arguing about the separation before the shooting.

'He murdered his children,' Brown said. 'He shot his wife.'

Shaneiqua and Elkins had been together for 10 years and married on April 9, 2024, according to a poignant Facebook post by Shaneiqua, marking their first wedding anniversary.

They had four daughters together.

Elkins shared the four with his wife and three children with another woman who lived close by and who was also one of the women shot, according to Brown. All the children Elkins fathered were all  together at one house, she said.

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 were all found dead inside the home. 

In the aftermath, as the names and faces of the victims emerge, attention has turned to Elkins' online presence and whether any warning signs were missed.

Only one month before the massacre, Elkins responded to a viral social media prompt that read: 'Dads If you could go back in time and have kids with a different woman but still have the same kids, would you do it?'

His reply was blunt. 'Hell yehhhhhhhh I would.'

Since the shooting, that comment has resurfaced, drawing a wave of grief, anger, and disbelief from those now looking back at his words.

'Lord he were giving some signs,' one person wrote beneath the post.

'We need to start looking for s*** like this to give somebody a heads up,' another added.

'He spoke loudly right here. And no one saw it,' a third wrote.

Elkins, a former member of the Louisiana Army National Guard, had previously served from 2013 to 2020 as a Signal Support System Specialist and Fire Support Specialist, according to military officials. He had no deployments and left the service as a private.

Records show he also had a prior run-in with the law. In 2019, he was arrested after allegedly firing shots near a high school in Shreveport and was later charged with illegal use of weapons. 

He served 30 days in jail and was placed on supervised release.

'What began as a domestic dispute has ended in irreversible harm,' the Caddo Parish district attorney's office said in a statement.

The scale of the tragedy has stunned even seasoned officials.

'I just don't know what to say, my heart is just taken aback,' Shreveport Police Chief Wayne Smith said. 'I cannot begin to imagine how such an event could occur.'

Caddo Parish Schools Superintendent Keith Burton called it an 'unspeakable tragedy.'

'We know that eight young lives were taken far too soon. They were children with dreams, hopes and futures that were just beginning to take shape,' he said.

'There are no words that can make sense of a loss like this.'

Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill added: 'We do not yet know all the details, but I am deeply saddened by the senseless loss of life. I'm praying for the victims and their family members in the wake of this devastating violence.'

House Speaker Mike Johnson, who represents the region, wrote: 'Heartbreaking tragedy in Shreveport this morning - 8 children were senselessly killed and multiple others were injured.'

Shreveport, about five hours outside of New Orleans, is a high crime area known for violence, according to Neighborhood Scout. 

One in 82 people are a victim of a violent crime in Shreveport, compared to one in 192 in the state of Louisiana, the report showed.