After the man responsible for killing eight children took his own life, the hunt for justice continued with the arrest of a convicted felon believed to have had a key role in the tragedy.
“Holding people accountable does not stop with the person who pulled the trigger …”
(Video Credit: KSLA News 12)
Sunday, Louisiana Army National Guard veteran Shamar Elkins was said to have committed a grave atrocity when he turned a gun on members of his own family, killing his seven children under the age of 11 along with one of their cousins. The next day, the Justice Department announced the arrest of a convicted felon believed responsible for Elkins’ access to the firearm in the first place.
As a press release from U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana Zachary A. Keller’s office explained, 56-year-old Charles Ford of Shreveport, Louisiana, was arrested and charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm, along with making a false statement to federal agents in regard to the familial massacre.
“Words fall short in the face of the acts Shamar Elkins perpetrated in Shreveport on April 19–they are beyond comprehension or description. Our law enforcement partners are investigating every angle of how this tragedy came to occur, and this case arises from the investigation–in particular, how Elkins secured a firearm that he used to execute his own children,” said Keller.
The attorney went on, “Elkins’ death means that our community will never see him face justice. Our hope, as we continue to investigate and prosecute this case alongside our law enforcement partners, is that holding the person whose gun Elkins used to perpetrate the crime accountable will give some small bit of solace to our Shreveport community.”
Likewise, a statement from Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson expressed, “The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives is engaged and committed to holding people accountable for illegal possession and use of firearms that harm our community. Holding people accountable does not stop with the person who pulled the trigger but also includes those who give access to and proliferate firearms that are later used in violent crime.”
According to Keller’s office, law enforcement learned from the original purchaser that she had given the firearm to Ford, a convicted felon who “initially lied to ATF agents about possessing the firearm, claiming he never did.”
A later admission was said to include his belief that Elkins took possession of the firearm kept under the seat of Ford’s truck, which he believed had gone missing around March 9. Confrontation with Elkins over the firearm was said to have found the man “offensive.”
In addition to killing the eight children, Elkins was said to have shot the mothers of his kids, wife Shaneiqua Pugh, and girlfriend Christina Snow, leaving them both in critical condition. As for motive, the New York Times reported that Pugh wanted a divorce, with proceedings set to begin the next day.
Murderer who gunned down 8 kids revealed but don’t expect this mass shooter to be in the media for long https://t.co/bxpFC2VZ7W
— American Wire News (@americanwire_) April 20, 2026
Details of a conversation with his mother, Mahelia Elkins, and stepfather, Marcus Jackson, were described as, “Mr. Elkins told them through tears that he wanted to take his own life. He told Mr. Jackson that his wife wanted a divorce, and he was drowning in ‘dark thoughts.’”
Jackson recalled Elkins telling him after encouraging the father of seven that he could “beat it,” “Some people don’t come back from their demons.”
If convicted, Ford faces up to 15 years in federal prison for the felon-in-possession-of-a-firearm charge as well as five years in prison for making a false statement to federal agents. Following a court appearance on Tuesday, he is set to have a hearing on Friday.
