Gun used to kill 8 children was stolen from truck, Louisiana man tells
investigators
[April 22, 2026]
By SARA CLINE and JACK BROOK
A man who previously had the assault-style gun used to kill eight
children in Louisiana told investigators he believes Shamar Elkins stole
it from his truck in the weeks before the rampage in a Shreveport
neighborhood, according to court documents released Tuesday.
Charles 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 that accuse Ford of being
a felon in possession of a firearm and making a false statement to
federal agents. He 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.
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A makeshift memorial is growing on the front lawn of a home as the
door in the background shows bullet holes and evidence markers where
children were killed during a mass shooting the day before in
Shreveport, La., Monday, April 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Officials said the children who died — three boys and five girls —
ranged in age from 3 to 11 years old.
Elkins plead 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.
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