Mom whose 3 children were killed in Louisiana mass shooting still has bullet lodged in face — and sometimes thinks kids are alive

Nypost · Apr 22, 2026 · 419 words · By Patrick Reilly

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What to know about Tragedy and Trauma

Mom whose 3 children were killed in Louisiana mass shooting still has bullet lodged in face — and sometimes thinks kids are alive The mother of three of the eight children massacred by deranged Army veteran dad Shamar Elkins in Louisiana still has a bullet…

Claims checked 9

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

Why it matters

Christina Snow, the girlfriend of 31-year-old Shamar Elkins, was shot in the face early Sunday when the former National Guardsman went on a shooting rampage at two nearby homes in Shreveport.

Common ground

Three of Snow’s children she shared with Elkins — Braylon Snow, 5, Khedarrion Snow, 6, and Sariahh Snow, 11 — were killed in their home.

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.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this Tragedy and Trauma story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that He also killed Mar’Kaydon Pugh, 10, the son of his wife’s sister, who was staying at their house?
How does this story connect Tragedy and Trauma with Mental Health Crisis over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/04/22/us-news/mom-whose-3-kids-were-killed-in-louisiana-…

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 60% 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 9 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 8

help Insufficient Evidence 1

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Claim 1: “He also killed Mar’Kaydon Pugh, 10, the son of his wife’s sister, who was staying at their house.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results confirm that Shamar Elkins also shot and killed Mar'Kaydon Pugh, 10, who was the son of his wife's sister.

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web search NEUTRAL — He also shot dead Mar'Kaydon Pugh, 10, the son of his wife's sister, Keosha, who also lived at the West 79th Street home in Shreveport, where the Sunday morning massacre took place and broke ...
https://nypost.com/2026/04/21/us-news/shamar-elkins-chilling…

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web search NEUTRAL — The stepfather of the gunman who killed eight people in Shreveport, Louisiana said the killer was recently having "dark thoughts."
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2026/04/21/shamar…

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web search NEUTRAL — Mr. Elkins also shot and wounded two other adults, including his wife, Shaneiqua Pugh, who was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries, the police said.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/20/us/shreveport-louisiana-k…

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Claim 2: “Christina Snow, the girlfriend of 31-year-old Shamar Elkins, was shot in the face early Sunday when the former National Guardsman went on a shooting rampage at two nearby homes in Shreveport.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm that Christina Snow was shot by Shamar Elkins during the rampage in Shreveport. One source specifies she was shot early Sunday.

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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 — Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content. The cousin said Christina Snow was one of the two women shot Sunday morning by Shamar Elkins, 31.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/mother-shreveport-louis…

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web search NEUTRAL — The mother of three children killed over the weekend in a mass shooting in Louisiana is reportedly recovering in hospital with a bullet still lodged in her face. Jamarckus Snow told NBC News that ...
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/22/mother-hospi…

+ 1 more evidence source

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Claim 3: “Elkins shot himself in the driveway of his former military mentor as law enforcement closed in.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results confirm that Shamar Elkins killed himself in the driveway of his former military mentor after law enforcement closed in.

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web search NEUTRAL — 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.
https://nypost.com/2026/04/21/us-news/louisiana-shooter-sham…

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web search NEUTRAL — What we know about Shamar Elkins Court records show Elkins previously pled guilty to a weapons charge and served probation in 2019. Elkins served in the Louisiana Army National Guard from 2013 to ...
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2026/04/19/shreve…

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web search NEUTRAL — Shamar Elkins Killed 8 Children, Including 7 of His Own, in Shreveport, La. What We Know About the 'Disgusting and Evil' Crime In April 2026, Shamar Elkins shot and killed eight children — seven ...
https://people.com/what-to-know-about-shreveport-shooting-11…

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Claim 4: “The vet turned his gun on Pugh and Snow, too, severely wounding both women, who are still in the hospital.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm that Elkins severely wounded both Shaneiqua Pugh (his wife) and Christina Snow (his ex-wife) during the shooting, and that both women were hospitalized.

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web search NEUTRAL — Two were shot: his wife, Shaneiqua Pugh, who was the mother of four of his children; and Christina Snow, his ex-wife, and the mother of three of his children. [26]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Shreveport_shooting

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web search NEUTRAL — He also shot Shaneiqua Pugh, his wife, and Christina Snow, the mother of three of his children. A third woman — his wife's sister — and a 12-year-old girl jumped off the roof trying to escape.
https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/20/us/shreveport-louisiana-shoot…

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web search NEUTRAL — He also turned his gun on Pugh, who was hit several times in the head and stomach, and the woman believed to be his girlfriend, Christina Snow, who was shot in the head.
https://www.aol.com/news/louisiana-killer-dad-shamar-elkins-…

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Claim 5: “Mom whose 3 children were killed in Louisiana mass shooting still has bullet lodged in face — and sometimes thinks kids are alive”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results report that Christina Snow, the mother of the three deceased children, has a bullet lodged in her face/head. One source specifically mentions her cousin reporting this fact.

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web search NEUTRAL — The mom of three children who died in a Louisiana mass shooting over the weekend still has a bullet lodged in her face after being shot herself, her cousin has said. Christina Snow is also dealing ...
https://people.com/bullet-still-lodged-moms-face-after-louis…

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web search NEUTRAL — The mother of three of the eight children massacred by deranged Army veteran dad Shamar Elkins in Louisiana still has a bullet lodged in her head and is struggling with her memory — sometimes ...
https://nypost.com/2026/04/22/us-news/mom-whose-3-kids-were-…

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web search NEUTRAL — A Louisiana woman recovering in the hospital after the weekend rampage that killed eight children and rocked Shreveport was a dedicated mother to her two young sons and daughter, who were fatally ...
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/mother-shreveport-louis…

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Claim 6: “The motive for the shooting remains unclear, but Elkins was suffering from mental health issues and was scheduled to appear in court on Monday after Pugh asked him for a divorce.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was gathered from the provided sources (web search, cross-references, Wikipedia) to confirm the motive, the mental health status, or the details regarding a court appearance scheduled for Monday after a divorce request.

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Claim 7: “Elkins fatally shot his seven children — the three he shared with Snow and his four daughters with his wife, Shaneiqua Pugh: Jayla Elkins, 3, Shayla Elkins, 5, Kayla Pugh, 6, and Layla Pugh, 7.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm Shamar Elkins killed eight children, specifying that seven were his children (three with Snow, four with Pugh) and one was his nephew. The names and ages listed are consistent across sources.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — On April 19, 2026, a mass shooting occurred at two homes in the Cedar Grove neighborhood of Shreveport, Louisiana, United States. Eight children between the ages of 3 and 11 were killed; seven of them…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Shreveport_shooting

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web search NEUTRAL — Shortly after 6 a.m. Central Time, Shamar Elkins, a 31-year-old army vet, allegedly unleashed his unimaginable violence at three residences in Shreveport, according to authorities.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/former-army-vet-shamar-…

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web search NEUTRAL — 2 days ago · Shamar Elkins, accused of killing eight children in a domestic shooting in Shreveport, Louisiana, was a former National Guard member.
https://www.foxnews.com/live-news/children-among-victims-in-…

+ 1 more evidence source

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Claim 8: “Elkins fired a bullet through Snow’s nose which is lodged in her head, and doctors aren’t ready to risk surgery, according to her cousin Jamarckus Snow.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results attribute the claim that Elkins fired a bullet through Christina Snow's nose, which is lodged in her head, and that doctors are hesitant to operate, to her cousin, Jamarckus Snow.

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web search NEUTRAL — Christina Snow was one of two women injured when gunman opened fire on a family in Shreveport, killing eight.Jamarckus told the outlet that Christina’s mother told him that the bullet entered through …
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/22/mother-hospi…

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web search NEUTRAL — Christina's cousin Jamarckus Snow told NBC News: “All she worked for was her kids, and all she talked about was her kids. It’s devastating.”Elkins allegedly fired shots in the 300 block of West 79th S…
https://www.themirror.com/news/us-news/mom-who-lost-kids-lou…

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web search NEUTRAL — Christina Snow and Elkins’ wife, Shaneiqua Pugh, were both injured in the shooting that unfolded across several locations. Seven of Elkins’ children, as well as a cousin, were killed.He said Snow’s mo…
https://www.aol.com/articles/mom-lost-3-kids-louisiana-23513…

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Claim 9: “Three of Snow’s children she shared with Elkins — Braylon Snow, 5, Khedarrion Snow, 6, and Sariahh Snow, 11 — were killed in their home.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources list the names and ages of the three children shared by Christina Snow and Shamar Elkins as Braylon Snow (5), Khedarrion Snow (6), and Sariahh Snow (11), and confirm they were killed in the home.

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web search NEUTRAL — The children were formally identified by their mothers, according to a news release from the Caddo Parish Coroner's Office. All eight — five girls and three boys — were killed in 31-yea…
https://nypost.com/2026/04/19/us-news/8-kids-massacred-by-de…

+ 2 more evidence sources

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.