Memorial Service for 8 Shreveport Shooting Victims

Faith leaders and politicians gathered Saturday at Summer Grove Baptist Church in Shreveport, Louisiana, to pay tribute to eight children killed in a mass shooting last month, including seven siblings shot by their father and their cousin.

The April 19 incident unfolded across two houses in a Shreveport neighborhood, where Shamar Elkins opened fire with an assault-style weapon despite a 2019 felony firearms conviction. The victims ranged in age from 3 to 11. Among them were 3-year-old Jayla Elkins, nicknamed Jaybae; 6-year-old Kayla Pugh, known as KMae; 10-year-old MarKaydon Pugh, called KBug; 6-year-old Khedarrion Snow, described in the funeral pamphlet as having a sweet and loving heart; and 7-year-old Layla Pugh, noted for her bright, intelligent and bold personality, who enjoyed making TikTok videos with her siblings and cousins. Elkins' wife, who had been seeking a divorce, and another woman were wounded. Elkins fled the scene, leading to a police pursuit that ended with his death. Authorities have not determined whether he was killed by officers' gunfire or a self-inflicted wound. The shooting marked the deadliest mass shooting in the United States in more than two years,...