The phone call was a warning no one recognized in time.
A young father in Louisiana, overwhelmed by “dark thoughts,” spoke of demons, divorce, and death. Days later, eight children were dead, and police were left to piece together the aftermath.
On a quiet Easter Sunday, Shamar Elkins reached out in the only way he seemed able. He called his mother and stepfather, talking about separation, despair, and thoughts of ending his life. Marcus Jackson tried to reassure him, saying anything could be overcome. But Elkins’ response—that some people “don’t come back from their demons”—now lingers over the devastation left behind.
Days later, officers entered a home in Shreveport and found a scene no one should witness: eight children, most killed in their sleep, two women critically injured, and the suspected gunman fleeing toward his own violent end.
Left behind are mothers facing the unthinkable, first responders marked by what they saw, and relatives replaying that final call, wondering if anything said differently might have changed what followed.