Layla Pugh was 7 years old when she was killed on April 19, 2026, in a mass shooting described by authorities as a domestic violence attack in Shreveport’s Cedar Grove neighborhood. The killings occurred before sunrise inside a family home on West 79th Street; seven other children—siblings and a cousin aged 3 to 11—were also killed that morning, identified as Jayla Elkins, Shayla Elkins, Kayla Pugh, Markaydon Pugh, Sariahh Snow, Khedarrion Snow, and Braylon Snow.

Police identified 31-year-old Shamar Elkins as the suspected shooter and said the violence began as a domestic incident that spread across multiple locations. Two women were wounded and hospitalized, and others were injured while escaping. Elkins fled after carjacking a red Kia Sportage, was pursued across the Red River into Bossier City, and died after an exchange of gunfire with officers; investigators said they were determining whether his death was caused by police gunfire or was self-inflicted.

Federal prosecutors later charged 56-year-old Charles Ford with being a felon in possession of the firearm used in the attack and with making false statements, alleging the weapon’s original purchaser had given it to Ford. The federal case centers on how Elkins obtained the gun rather than on the murders themselves. If anyone knew Layla or has information about the shootings or the weapon’s path, please come forward.