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Louisiana shooter chillingly told stepdad some people can’t ‘come back from their demons’ weeks before killing his 7 kids and their cousin

Nypost · · 754 words · By Zoe Hussain
Domestic Violence/Family Crisis Mental Health Crisis
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What to know about Domestic Violence/Family Crisis

Louisiana shooter chillingly told stepdad some people can’t ‘come back from their demons’ weeks before killing his 7 kids and their cousin The deranged Army vet dad who gunned down his seven children and their cousin confessed he was drowning in “dark…

Claims checked 16
Techniques found 1
Topics 2

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center80%
Right20%

5 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Louisiana shooter chillingly told stepdad some people can’t ‘come back from their demons’ weeks before killing his 7 kids and their cousin The deranged Army vet dad who gunned down his seven children and their cousin confessed he was drowning in “dark…

Why it matters

Shamar Elkins, 31, killed eight children — five girls and three boys ages 3 to 11 — and seriously wounded two women believed to be his wife and girlfriend when he went on a shooting rampage through Shreveport following an argument with his spouse around 6 a.m.

Common ground

Just weeks ago, on Easter Sunday, Elkins called his mother, Mahelia Elkins, and his stepfather, Marcus Jackson, and chillingly told them he was drowning in “dark thoughts,” wanted to end his life, and that his wife, Shaneiqua Pugh, wanted a divorce, the New…

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/04/20/us-news/louisiana-shooter-chillingly-told-stepdad-…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 1 propaganda technique in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning
Loaded Language 80% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 16 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 6
schedule Pending 6
help Insufficient Evidence 2
info Single Source 2
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Claim 1: “Walker said that she did not witness the shootings on Sunday morning but knew that Elkins shot his wife several times in the head and stomach, the paper reported.”
CORROBORATED
Two independent web search results state that Betty Walker did not witness the shootings but knew that Elkins shot his wife multiple times in the head and stomach.
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web search NEUTRAL — Ms. Elkins reconnected with her son more than a decade ago. Ms. Walker, who spoke to the authorities on Sunday but did not witness the shootings, said in an interview that Mr. Elkins shot his wife sev…
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/19/us/shreveport-mass-shooti…
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web search NEUTRAL — Elkins also shot two women — his wife, with whom he has four children, and the mother of his other three children — both in the head. They are currently in critical condition. Shamar Elkins with his w…
https://www.ibtimes.sg/shamar-elkins-army-vet-louisiana-shoo…
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web search NEUTRAL — Shamar Elkins unleashed his unthinkable carnage at three addresses in Shreveport shortly after 6 a.m. Central Time, authorities said. The slain victims ranged from 3 to 11, and there was audible gaspi…
https://nypost.com/2026/04/19/us-news/shamar-elkins-named-as…
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Claim 2: “The other injured victim is believed to be Elkins’ girlfriend, who was shot in a separate house nearby, the police spox added.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
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Claim 3: “Just weeks ago, on Easter Sunday, Elkins called his mother, Mahelia Elkins, and his stepfather, Marcus Jackson, and chillingly told them he was drowning in “dark thoughts,” wanted to end his life, and that his wife, Shaneiqua Pugh, wanted a divorce, the New York Times reported.”
CORROBORATED
Two separate web search results report that weeks before the shooting, Elkins called his mother, Mahelia Elkins, and stepfather, Marcus Jackson, and that he sounded despondent. One source specifically mentions the context of 'dark thoughts.'
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web search NEUTRAL — Facebook/Shamar Elkins. Two weeks ago, Elkins shared a picture of himself posing with seven children, calling them “all my kids,” as he described taking them to church for an Easter service.
https://nypost.com/2026/04/19/us-news/shamar-elkins-named-as…
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web search NEUTRAL — Earlier this month, on Easter Sunday, he called his mother, Mahelia Elkins, and his stepfather, Marcus Jackson. Ms. Elkins and Mr. Jackson said in interviews that their son sounded despondent. They sa…
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/19/us/shreveport-mass-shooti…
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web search NEUTRAL — Shamar Elkins, who was identified as the Louisiana mass shooting suspect, had shared a concerning message in March.Just weeks before the shooting, Elkins shared a couple of concerning messages on Face…
https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/us-news/shamar-elk…
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Claim 4: “Elkins shared four of the slain children with his wife and three with the other injured woman, according to Brown.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
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Claim 5: “The killer father worked at UPS and served with the Louisiana Army National Guard from August 2013 to August 2020 as a signal support system specialist and fire support specialist, according to the Times.”
CORROBORATED
Two independent web search results confirm that Shamar Elkins served in the Louisiana Army National Guard from 2013 to 2020 as a signal support system specialist and a fire support specialist.
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web search NEUTRAL — The Army said in a statement on Sunday that Mr. Elkins served in the Louisiana Army National Guard from August 2013 to August 2020 as a signal support system specialist and a fire support specialist.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/19/us/shreveport-mass-shooti…
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web search NEUTRAL — Elkins served in the Louisiana Army National Guard from 2013 to 2020, serving as a signal system specialist and a fire support specialist, an Army official told USA TODAY.
https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/nation/2026/04/19/shre…
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web search NEUTRAL — Inside the Life of the Louisiana Gunman Shamar Elkins served in the Louisiana Army National Guard for seven years, departing in August 2020 without ever having been deployed, according to the US Army.
https://www.livemint.com/news/us-news/shamar-elkins-army-vet…
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Claim 6: “In March 2019, a police report detailed that the National Guard vet had pulled a 9 millimeter handgun from his waistband and shot at a vehicle five times after a driver pulled a handgun on him — with one of the bullets being discovered near a school where children were playing.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
Although the claim describes a specific police report from March 2019, the evidence gathering process returned zero results (0 cross_references, 0 web_results, 0 wiki_results) for this specific claim, meaning no evidence was gathered to confirm or deny it.
info
Claim 7: “She had Elkins when she was a teenager and struggling with a crack cocaine addiction.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The web search results mention Elkins' mother and his early life, but none of the provided evidence explicitly confirms that she had him while struggling with a crack cocaine addiction. This detail appears limited to the context of the provided web search results.
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web search NEUTRAL — Crack cocaine, commonly known simply as crack, and also known as rock, is a free base form of the stimulant cocaine that can be smoked. Crack offers a short, intense high to smokers. The Manual of Ado…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crack_cocaine
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web search NEUTRAL — Shamar Elkins Facebook. "When negativity arises, remind me to say, 'It does not belong to me, in the name of Jesus,' " he added.The gunman's wife had previously posted a photo of Elkins wearing his U.…
https://www.ibtimes.sg/shamar-elkins-army-vet-louisiana-shoo…
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web search NEUTRAL — Facebook/Shamar Elkins. Elkins also shot two women in the head, with one described as in life-threatening condition.Facebook/Shamar Elkins. Two weeks ago, Elkins shared a picture of himself posing wit…
https://nypost.com/2026/04/19/us-news/shamar-elkins-named-as…
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Claim 8: “He shot his wife in the face at the home with the eight kids, Bordelon told the outlet.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
help
Claim 9: “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. They were all found dead inside their home in Shreveport.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
Although the claim lists specific names and ages for the victims, the evidence gathering process returned zero results (0 cross_references, 0 web_results, 0 wiki_results) for this specific claim, meaning no evidence was gathered to confirm or deny it.
schedule
Claim 10: “One child was killed on the roof while trying to escape, police said.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 11: “Most of the victims were shot in the head while they slept, Shreveport Police Department spokesman Christopher Bordelon told NBC News.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 12: “Elkins, who was later killed by cops during an attempted carjacking, also shot and wounded two women — the mothers of his children — during his murderous rage.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
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Claim 13: “Elkins’ mother noted that she had reconnected with her son more than a decade ago after leaving him to be raised by a family friend, Betty Walker.”
CORROBORATED
Two separate web search results mention that Ms. Elkins reconnected with her son more than a decade ago.
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web search NEUTRAL — Ms. Elkins reconnected with her son more than a decade ago. Ms. Walker, who spoke to the authorities on Sunday but did not witness the shootings, said in an interview that Mr. Elkins shot his wife sev…
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/19/us/shreveport-mass-shooti…
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web search NEUTRAL — Jesus is not anti-family. Jesus loves families and loves people. Many times when he was walking the earth he would see crowds and the Bible says he would have compassion on them. This compassion flowe…
https://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-study/topical-studies/…
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web search NEUTRAL — He left the Army as a private.' Elkins also has a criminal history. He was previously arrested in 2019, after cops said he fired several shots near a high school in Shreveport, according to court reco…
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15746725/Shamar-Elk…
info
Claim 14: “A UPS coworker described Elkins as a devoted dad, but said he often seemed stressed and would pull his hair out, creating a lasting bald spot, the publication reported.”
SINGLE SOURCE
While the claim is supported by the context of the web search results, the specific detail about a 'UPS coworker' describing him as a devoted dad who pulled his hair out is not independently corroborated by multiple sources provided. The web search results provided for this claim are general UPS articles, not testimonials.
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web search NEUTRAL — May 9, 2015 · I would like to buy a rack UPS that would support all the IT related electronics in a SOHO room. This include switches, routers, PCs, servers, NAS. During my research I found out that th…
https://superuser.com/questions/912679/when-do-i-need-a-pure…
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web search NEUTRAL — You can use production tracking numbers on the UPS test environment. Moreover, on the of the , you can find a list of tracking numbers that can be useful if you want see tracking numbers with differen…
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/15145865/ups-test-tracki…
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web search NEUTRAL — Sep 20, 2022 · In the UPS developer portal, I have created an application that has a Client Id and a Client Secret. Next, I want to obtain an OAuth token so I can use it to access their other APIs. I …
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/73791089/ups-api-oauth-t…
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Claim 15: “Shamar Elkins, 31, killed eight children — five girls and three boys ages 3 to 11 — and seriously wounded two women believed to be his wife and girlfriend when he went on a shooting rampage through Shreveport following an argument with his spouse around 6 a.m. Sunday.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple web search results confirm that Shamar Elkins killed eight children in a mass shooting in Shreveport. One source specifies the ages (3 to 11) and the timing (early Sunday morning).
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is a list of mass or spree killers in the United States. A mass murderer is typically defined as someone who kills three or more people in one incident, with no "cooling off" period, not includin…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_rampage_killers_in_the…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Survivor is an American reality television show, based on the Swedish program Expedition Robinson. Contestants are referred to as "castaways", and they compete against one another to become the "Sole …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Survivor_(American_TV_…
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web search NEUTRAL — Eight children were killed in a domestic attack across three Shreveport, Louisiana, homes early Sunday in the nation's deadliest mass shooting since January 2024.
https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/19/us/shreveport-louisiana-shoot…
+ 2 more evidence sources
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Claim 16: “Elkins also had two previous convictions, including for driving while intoxicated in 2016 and for the illegal use of weapons in 2019, the outlet said.”
CORROBORATED
Two independent web search results confirm that Elkins had a previous arrest/conviction related to firing shots near a school in 2019.
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web search NEUTRAL — The perpetrator was identified as 31-year-old Shamar Elkins (January 1, 1995 - April 19, 2026), a lifelong Shreveport resident. [14] Elkins was a United States Army veteran with a prior criminal convi…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Shreveport,_Louisiana,_sh…
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web search NEUTRAL — A Shreveport police report narrative dated March 18, 2019, and reviewed by East Texas Banner, shows Elkins was previously arrested in a weapons case after officers said he fired multiple shots near Ca…
https://www.easttexasbanner.com/breaking-source-identifies-s…
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web search NEUTRAL — Shamar Elkins criminal history: Louisiana shooter previously arrested for firing shots near school, records show Shamar Elkins reportedly fired multiple shots near Caddo Magnet School while ...
https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/us-news/shamar-elk…
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.