A man who previously had the gun used to kill eight children in a Shreveport, Louisiana mass shooting says Shamar Elkins, the suspect identified by police, stole it from his truck weeks before the tragedy took place, authorities said Tuesday. Shreveport resident Charles Ford, 56, admitted to believing that Elkins took possession of the assault-style rifle after initially lying to investigators, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Louisiana. 

Ford told investigators he suspected Elkins, who was the father of seven of the children killed, because he was one of the few people to ride with him, according to a criminal complaint filed in Louisiana federal court. Ford allegedly said it was around March 9 when he noticed the gun was missing.

Ford said he confronted Elkins about the missing weapon. But when Elikns became "offensive," Ford "let it go," according to a court affidavit filed Tuesday.

The affidavit is in support of federal charges against Ford. He faces charges for being a felon in possession of a firearm and making false statements to federal agents, with both allegedly relating to the gun that Elkins used to carry out the shooting, according to the attorney's office.

The office said that authorities interviewed the person who originally purchased the gun, pictured below, and that person said she gave it to Ford. Shreveport police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms have initiated a trace on the firearm to track its history.

Ford originally denied having the gun when first approached by investigators after the shooting Sunday, according court records.

"Elkins' death means that our community will never see him face justice," U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller said in a statement. "Our hope, as we continue to investigate and prosecute this case alongside our law enforcement partners, is that holding the person whose gun Elkins used to perpetrate the crime accountable will give some small bit of solace to our Shreveport community."

Ford does not currently have an appointed legal representative and is expected to receive a federal public defender, according to federal court records.

An attorney who previously represented Ford could not immediately be reached for comment. Efforts to reach family members of Ford could not be immediately contacted at other phone numbers associated with him.

Elkins died after fleeing and a police pursuit. It was not clear whether he was killed by officers who fired or from a self-inflicted gunshot, according to police.

Elkins' wife and another woman were also shot and wounded in the rampage, which unfolded across two houses before dawn.

Officials said the children who died — three boys and five girls — ranged in age from 3 to 11 years old.

Elkins pleaded guilty in 2019 to a felony of illegal use of weapons, according to court documents. As a result, a Caddo Parish district judge sentenced Elkins to 18 months of supervised probation, and Elkins turned his handgun into police as a condition of probation, court filings show.

Under Louisiana law, a person convicted of certain violent felonies — including illegal use of weapons — are banned from having a gun for at least 10 years after completing their sentence and probation.

Officials have not addressed whether Elkins was legally prohibited from having a weapon.

The tragedy in Louisiana is one of the nation's deadliest mass shootings in recent years.

"Families should be able to feel safe at home, but this tragedy shows how gun violence can shatter lives in an instant," said Lindsay Nichols, policy director for Giffords Law Center, which is an organization that aims to curb gun violence.

For years, advocates for stronger gun control have sought to tighten Louisiana's loose firearm regulations. Democrats routinely propose red flag laws, but Republicans in the reliably red state block the measures.