“A deranged veteran who murdered seven of his children and one of their cousins killed himself in the driveway of his ex-Army mentor’s home after leading police on a chase in a stolen vehicle.”

“Shamar Elkins, 31, who served for seven years in the Louisiana National Guard, carjacked a vehicle after massacring his family at their home in Shreveport, La., before driving to the Bossier City house of his former commander, Michael Mayence in the early hours of Sunday morning.”

“As police arrived and opened fire, Elkins shot himself with the short AR-15-style carbine he was carrying, Mayence wrote.”

“Elkins had two prior convictions in the past decade, including one for firing on a fellow driver near a high school in 2019, and one for driving under the influence in 2016.”

“Elkins was known to be in the process of divorcing his wife, Shaneiqua Pugh, and the pair were due in court on Monday as part of the proceedings.”

“The victims killed by Elkins have been 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.”

“Seven of the eight were his own children, and the eighth was their cousin, though it was not immediately clear which of the victims was the cousin.”