Police in Louisiana are trying to figure out how a man with a prior illegal firearms conviction got a gun and used it to kill eight children on Sunday morning.
Officials say 31-year-old Shamar Elkins, a former National Guard member, shot 10 people on Sunday, killing eight children between the ages of 3 and 11, and injuring two women. He was later killed in a shootout with police.
Seven of the children killed were his. The eighth was a relative.
Now, days after the incident, we are learning more about Elkins and what led to the tragedy.
Domestic violence and the shooters history
During a press conference on Monday, police described the shooting as a domestic incident.
They say the attack may have been triggered by a dispute with his wife, who had recently asked for a divorce.
Sunday’s incident also wasn’t the first time Elkins has been in trouble with the law.
Records show police arrested him in 2019, and he was later convicted of illegal use of a firearm after he fired multiple rounds near a school during a confrontation.
A Shreveport Police spokesman said that the conviction likely resulted in Elkins being prohibited from legally owning a firearm.
Now, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Explosives is investigating how he obtained the assault-style pistol used in the attack.
In addition to a violent history, family members say Elkins had recently spent time in a Veterans Affairs mental health facility.