Community leaders and elected officials gathered Saturday to honor eight young lives lost in a devastating mass shooting that shocked Shreveport, Louisiana last month.
Seven siblings and their cousin, all between ages 3 and 11, were gunned down on April 19 when the children’s father opened fire in an attack that spanned two neighborhood homes.
The memorial service at Summer Grove Baptist Church during Mother’s Day weekend featured a somber procession as mourners walked past eight white coffins, each adorned with large photographs of the children, golden crowns, and white flower arrangements. Musical performances from a choir and solo artists provided comfort throughout the ceremony.
“In spite of how you may be feeling today, we still need to know that God is still good,” declared Bishop Bernard Kimble of Mount Olive Baptist Church as he opened the service.
Memorial programs honored each child individually, revealing loving family nicknames for the victims. Three-year-old Jayla Elkins went by “Jaybae,” while 6-year-old Kayla Pugh was known as “K-Mae,” and 10-year-old Mar’Kaydon Pugh answered to “K-Bug.”
The program described 6-year-old Khedarrion Snow as having “a sweet and loving heart” whose “light was mighty” despite his brief time on earth. Seven-year-old Layla Pugh was remembered as “bright, intelligent, bold, and full of love” who loved creating TikTok content with her relatives.
Gospel artist and pastor Kim Burrell encouraged grieving family members and community members struggling to understand the tragedy, emphasizing that “God is still on the throne.”
“To ask the question, ‘Why is this fair, God? How could you, Lord?’ He’s still God,” Burrell stated. “The same God that healed you from the stuff that you don’t want to tell nobody about. But he is a God that doesn’t have to give us all the clues. Just know that he makes no mistakes.”
The perpetrator, Shamar Elkins, carried out the attack using an assault-style firearm despite a 2019 felony weapons conviction. His estranged wife, who had filed for divorce, and another woman sustained injuries during the violence.
Elkins perished following a police chase after fleeing the scene. Authorities have not determined whether he died from police gunfire or took his own life.
The incident remains under investigation as the nation’s most deadly mass shooting in more than two years.
City Councilwoman Tabatha Taylor spoke during the service, acknowledging that “there are no words sufficient to ease this pain.” Fellow Councilman James Green urged attendees to “take off our funeral face” because “this is a celebration” of the children’s lives.
Congregation members frequently rose to applaud speakers and musical performances. The victims’ names were repeatedly honored throughout the ceremony, where Shreveport Mayor Tom Arceneaux offered the city’s sympathies.
“May we honor them by carrying forward the gentleness, joy and love they so freely shared,” Arceneaux remarked.
Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry directed that American and state flags fly at half-mast for one week at government facilities statewide. His statement described the victims as “the light of their homes and the heart of their classrooms” who “were full of promise and found joy in the simplest things, such as dancing, playing outside and sharing laughter with family and friends.”
“It is incumbent upon us to honor the memory of those lost by standing together against such senseless violence,” the governor’s message continued.
Former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, who survived a 2011 assassination attempt that ended her political career, attended the service.
“She just wanted to come and just let the family know that this pain is not just in Louisiana,” explained U.S. Representative Cleo Fields, D-Louisiana. “This pain is all across the nation.”
Transportation was provided following the church service to take mourners to the burial site. Bishop Kimble concluded with a prayer for the healing process to begin.
“Help us as we move from this spot,” he prayed. “Because we know, oh God, grief is only temporary. And if we’ll put our hands in your favor, you’ll lead us through this.”
